Social, Cultural, and Humanitarian
Human Trafficking
Finland
Anish Kokkula
Forest Hills Eastern
Human trafficking, a polarizing issue prevalent in our society must be addressed by the Social, Cultural, and Humanitarian Committee. Occasionally, human trafficking economically feasible and efficient; however, it impairs our fundamental moral human rights. Although in a few sectors around the globe, human trafficking is hardly present, two primary forms of trafficking exist in our society: sex trafficking and labor trafficking. While a staggering 80% of human trafficking is for the use of sexual exploitation, a formidable 20% is for forced labor. Sexual exploitation and forced labor are unfathomable, patronizing aspects of human culture that must be eliminated. The United Nations (UN) must take action to progress human rights, increasing our moral view of all people — all races, all cultures, and all backgrounds.
The definition of human trafficking is strict in the Finnish Penal Code, and trafficking is well monitored and adequately limited. According to statistics provided by Eurostat, the pervasiveness of human trafficking in Finland is minimal, consisting of only 231 registered victims of human trafficking in Finland. Additionally, the Finish police estimate that about 200-250 women cross the Finnish border from the East weekly to work in Finland as prostitutes. As stated in “Human trafficking in Finland,” Finland has ratified the Conventions of 1926 which deals with slavery, and the Convention of 1949 which deals with trafficking in human beings and counteracting the exploitation of other people being used for prostitution. Moreover, The Finnish government has continued to provide direct shelter, trafficking-specific rehabilitative assistance, and medical care to adult and child victims in addition to its provision of funding for NGO-run shelters.
The delegation of Finland urges other nations who are part of the UN to combat this subject by adopting Finland’s policy of dealing with victims of trafficking. First, Finland recognizes government compensation for victims of sex or labor trafficking as a credible means by which to help those prone to international human trafficking. In Finland, under the Act on Compensation for Crime Damage, victims of crime could receive government compensation for personal injury, damage to property, or other financial loss caused by a crime. Second, informing and urging nations to abide by UN treaties such as the Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and further collaborate on government laws, is paramount. Third, Finland encourages other nations to castigate the business people involved with sex and labor trafficking, informing them of their immoral actions and eradicating it. Fourth, a greater emphasis on the school education on human rights must be strongly encouraged by the UN, however in a manner that does not infringe on a country’s national sovereignty. Fifth, the UN place subtle restrictions on not allow people to post racist comments and propaganda from spreading via the internet while the people who post them remain anonymous.
- Anish Kokkula
