Much of the international legal and human rights framework to fight human trafficking, especially of children and women, is already in place..

1. Definition of “human trafficking”:

TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS: refers to the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs.

SOURCE: Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (article 3 (a)).

2. The ILO’s international Conventions relating to trafficking in children and women:

Trafficking in children and women for sexual or labour exploitation is equivalent to slavery and the worst forms of child labour. The ILO, through its IPEC Mekong Project to Combat Trafficking in Children and Women, relies on a number of ILO Conventions, including the following:

Convention 29 – Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (English), (Chinese), (Thai), (other Mekong languages pending)

Convention 182 – Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (English), (Chinese), (Khmer), (Lao), (Thai), (Vietnamese)

Convention 138 – Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (English), (Chinese), (Khmer), (Lao), (Thai), (Vietnamese pending)

3. UN guidelines to States and intergovernmental organizations on preventing trafficking within the wider human rights framework:

“Strategies aimed at preventing trafficking should take into account demand as a root cause. States and intergovernmental organizations should also take into account the factors that increase vulnerability to trafficking, including inequality, poverty and all forms of discrimination and prejudice. Effective prevention strategies should be based on existing experience and accurate information.”

SOURCE: Guideline 7: “Recommended Principles and Guidelines on Human Rights and Human Trafficking” (OHCHR, New York & Geneva, 2002)

Download all 11 of the OHCHR’s Recommended Principles and Guidelines on Human Rights and Human Trafficking (English), (Chinese), (other Mekong languages pending)

We can be reached at prevention@childtrafficking.net