Joint UN Commentary on the EU Directive on human trafficking – A Human Rights-Based Approach
“Prevent. Combat. Protect” is the joint UNHCR, OHCHR, UNICEF, UNODC, ILO and UN Women commentary on selected articles of the EU Directive on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting victims. It promotes a human rights-based approach, provides guidance to policy-makers and legislators in EU Member States on key articles of the Directive, and makes recommendations for the transposition and implementation of the Directive.
In 2011, the European Union adopted a Directive to prevent and combat trafficking in human beings and protect its victims. Member States are now required to transpose the provisions of the Directive into their national legislation. In order to provide guidance to Member States during this transposition process, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) have produced a legal commentary of the Directive with a human rights-based approach. The Joint UN Commentary puts human rights at the centre of all the efforts, and specifically highlights the child and gender dimensions of trafficking.