Topic: 2024-Human Trafficking
Country: Bangladesh
Delegate Name: Fletcher Fahling
Human trafficking is a very serious violation of human rights that often includes people crossing national borders, making it an issue of international concern. Measures like the 2000 Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children and the 1979 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women adopted by the UN have laid out goals and actions for nations to take in order to work together on eliminating this awful practice. With these in mind, Bangladesh believes that we can improve our response to this issue, both as an international community and as individual nations.
Nationally, Bangladesh has put in place many measures to address human trafficking, including free legal aid and safe houses for victims, special training for border inspectors, and prevention training for migrant workers leaving the country. However, despite these measures, human trafficking remains a serious problem. Bangladesh simply does not have enough resources to properly address a problem of this scale: even with specialized tribunals and mobile courts, the justice system ended 2022 with a backlog of over 4,000 trafficking and labor violation cases. Bangladesh has benefited greatly from third party and UN organization interventions and aid (such as that provided via UNODC, Winrock International, and the International Organization for Migration), and will support proposals to increase and expand the operating power and scope of these and similar organizations.
Bangladesh also recognizes risk factors that result in vulnerability to human trafficking and forced labor, such as economic disadvantage, legal work/immigration status, lack of education, and lack of community support. Solutions in this realm might look like aid to get people educated and into gainful employment. In Bangladesh, a large vulnerable population are the Rohingya refugees living in the country. Since it is difficult for them to gain the legal ability to work, they can end up vulnerable to trafficking and other illegal work practices. Additionally, migrant workers sent abroad are vulnerable to trafficking, and Bangladesh has limited ability to assist victims outside of the country. Due to these factors, Bangladesh will support proposals that include provisions for the aid and protection of refugees and migrant workers.
Bangladesh has an extensive national strategy and systems already put in place to mitigate human trafficking. However, human trafficking is an issue that requires international support and cooperation. Through expansion and clarification of current protocols and organizations, the delegation of Bangladesh believes that a difference and an improvement in this area can be made, both nationally and internationally.
