Topic:
Country: Albania
Delegate Name: Jada Wynn
Human trafficking is a crime that is a form of modern-day slavery. It is the illegal act of transporting individuals either by force or deception. There are many different types of human trafficking, such as prostitution, forced labor, or the selling of organs. Prostitution unfortunately is the most common, estimating 58% of all human trafficking activities. Many people are trafficked; according to Britannica, about 1,000,000 people are trafficked globally, meaning in that number, many men, women, and children are forced into prostitution, labor, child exploitation, and organ selling.
Human trafficking happens everywhere; Albania is no exception, and with Albania still adjusting to the new democracy implemented in the government, it has gotten worse. Traffickers have used this time to deceive and kidnap men, women, and children and exploit them through trafficking, the most common being sex trafficking and forced labor. It also does not help when parts of law enforcement and the government are being compliant. According to the U.S. Department of State, some parts of law enforcement have dismissed or downright justified cases, claiming that crimes such as forced labor in forced marriages, which sometimes can be linked to human trafficking, are “traditional practices or customs.” This harms Albania’s government and citizens if some parts of law enforcement are corrupt. This has been an ongoing issue; while it has improved as of present, bits of corruption still lingers.
Poverty also plays a part in this. After the Soviet Union’s collapse, Albania lost its most prominent supporter, meaning the economy suffered and poverty increased. According to a report from the Borgen Project, a nonprofit organization that tackles poverty, addressed that in Albania and everywhere, many traffickers target poor citizens because these traffickers know these poor citizens are desperate for money. They lure these people with fake promises and a bunch of lies so that they can trap them. With Albania having low to average economic decency, poverty is still relevant; poor citizens are still being targeted in the country.
Although these negatives have impacted Albania’s government, there is still some good. Albania has made efforts to acknowledge victims, spread awareness, and help protect its civilians. According to a report from the U.S. Department of State, Albania has worked with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to start campaigns and spread awareness about human trafficking; this way, citizens of Albania can be more informed about human trafficking and how to protect themselves. Education is essential, so educating civilians and helping them learn about this crime is a good start to change. With Albania advocating for educating the public about human trafficking, this is one of many steps this country has taken to improve as a country.
The Albanian government has used government funds to not only to help fund NGO-run shelters but also to create specialized shelters for human trafficking victims. Using government funds shows that the Albanian government advocates for tearing down human trafficking organizations, helping to save victims, and giving them support. This action has then led to the formation of the National Coalition of Anti-Trafficking Shelters (NCATS). This organization offers food, mental health counseling, education services, and more. These actions from the Albanian government represent Albania’s stance on abolishing human trafficking and helping support its citizens.
While in this committee, the delegation Albania seeks to expand further in spreading awareness of human trafficking within this country and will continue to give support to human trafficking victims. The delegation proposes that the UN not only increase the number of human trafficking shelters and further help fund non-government organizations to help complete their mission but also take inspiration from NCATS and use the organization’s tactics. According to a report that reviews NCATS’ previous works, many of NCATS’ tactics involve identifying victims and relocating them, taking them to shelters, and giving resources to help rebuild their lives. This is a very effective way to locate and protect victims; NCATS’ tactics on tackling human trafficking is something the delegation of Albania advises when making a resolution. The goal for this conference should also be about developing and evolving resources to help victims, and taking inspiration from not only NCATS but also many laws and other organizations against human trafficking will be beneficial when attempting to solve this issue. With allies that have better technology, more money, and a better outreach in the world, this resolution will help all countries have access to resources that can further improve that respective countries’ technology to better and accurately identify victims and also find human trafficking rings and put an end to them. Furthermore, the delegation of Albania hopes to collaborate with other delegations with similar ideals to promote and advocate for governments to step up and take action against human trafficking.
Works Cited
Britannica. “Human Trafficking.” Britannica, Oct 29, 2024, https://www.britannica.com/topic/human-trafficking.
The Borgen Project. “Human Trafficking in Albania: Escaping a Dark Past” The Borgen Project, Nov 3rd, 2021, https://borgenproject.org/human-trafficking-in-albania/.
U.S. Department of State. “2024 Trafficking in Persons Report: Albania.” U.S. Department of State, 2024, https://www.state.gov/reports/2024-trafficking-in-persons-report/albania/.
National Coalition of Anti-Trafficking Shelters. “Report on the contribution of the NCATS to the identification and assistance for victims of trafficking.” National Coalition of Anti-Trafficking Shelters, Oct 2009 to Sept 2010, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1S9GPvswxVeA5FL6tStUmcIs-RWvpWmUy/view?usp=drive_link.
