Human Trafficking Position Paper
There are over 40.3 million human trafficking victims worldwide. Woman and children make up the vast majority of these victims and the highest concentrations of victims is is Asia. The Middle East is a major hotspot for this human trafficking and Saudi Arabia is no exception. Currently, Saudi Arabia is listed as one of the worst countries in the world for levels of trafficking.
The fact that Saudi Arabia continues to be one of the worst countries for levels of human trafficking is deeply concerning. In no way, does the delegation of Saudi Arabia support these actions. This contemporary form of slavery is against so many of Saudi Arabia’s core values and it is a disgrace that it is still occurring today. In the past Saudi Arabia has not met standards in eliminating human trafficking but in recent years, the country has increased their efforts.
The government of Saudi Arabia has referred victims to protective services, enhanced regulation of labor protection laws, and launched wage protections services to safeguard workers contracts. Saudi Arabia also has an Anti-Human Trafficking Committee that meets dozens of times per year to combat this issue. Saudi Arabia has also worked to protect and enhance workers rights and improve work environments between the employer and the employee.
The delegation of Saudi Arabia proposes that countries join together to encourage stricter laws and regulations about human trafficking. Saudi Arabia desires to strengthen efforts to prosecute and convict trafficking offenders which includes abusive employers as well as ensuring that victims may safely take up lawsuits and criminal cases against their employer. Additionally, Saudi Arabia wants to train government officials on how to identify trafficking victims, as well as increasing nationwide public awareness campaigns about human trafficking.
- George Perakis
