General Assembly: Social Humanitarian & Cultural Committee (SocHum)
Topic: Human Trafficking
Human trafficking is the illegal transportation of people against their will, for the purpose of exploitation. In 2009, the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) released the “Global Report on Trafficking in Persons,” which found that roughly 80% of human trafficking is for the purpose of sexual exploitation, while almost 20% is for forced labor. In recent years, these dynamics have changed to reflect a greater emphasis on forced labor rather than sexual exploitation. Worldwide, some 20% of trafficking victims were children. However, in some regions of Africa and the Mekong Region of Southeast Asia, children make up the majority (up to approximately 100%) of victims. Historically, the most vulnerable populations are those afforded the fewest rights – such as women, children, minorities, and migrants. Human trafficking is viewed by the United Nations as a form of modern day slavery.
The UN has attempted to address the global crisis of human trafficking. The UN General Assembly adopted the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children in 2000, as an attempt to assist countries in an international campaign to end human trafficking. Some committees dedicated to solving, or at least alleviating, the human trafficking crisis include the Global Migration Group and the Inter-Agency Coordination Group against Trafficking in Persons, as established in Resolution 61/180. These organizations endeavor to put a stop to human trafficking using a variety of methods, including increased coordination of national and international law enforcement, holding traffickers responsible through prosecution, and facilitating increased respect for and protection of the human rights of disadvantaged and vulnerable populations. However, human trafficking remains a global issue, and increasing numbers of migrants worldwide have resulted in a larger population of people vulnerable to trafficking.
The international community faces a complex problem when it comes to fighting human trafficking. Economically, there is a need to disincentivize the exploitation of trafficked persons. As international travel becomes easier and more frequent, the global community is faced with the task of identifying victims of human trafficking. Getting to the core of the problem are the factors which make individuals vulnerable to trafficking, underscoring the importance of empowering women, children, minorities, and migrants. What responsibilities do international companies bear in eliminating human trafficking? What circumstances lead to the exploitation of vulnerable people? What circumstances encourage traffickers to engage in the trade of people in the first place?
Syria has been in a state of a turmoil and war for nearly the past decade. Unfortunately this vastly complex war has left 5.6 million civilians with no home to turn to and leaving 4 million more vulnerable. Human trafficking earns global profits of $150 billion a year for traffickers in which $99 billion comes from the sexual exploitation of these humans according to the International Labor Organization report from 2014. Many women and children are taken by terrorist groups such as ISIS which force them into slave or sex labor according to 2018 Trafficking in Persons Report – Syria. According to this report, Syria is classified as a tier-3 in where the nation no longer has the power nor control to enforce proper laws or the proper equipment/resources to help our victims as well due to ongoing conflict.
However we believe we can improve, some solutions we can look to implement are to prosecute perpetrators of human trafficking, including officials complicit in the international unlawful recruitment and use of child soldiers, and proactively identify potential and past trafficking victims and provide them with appropriate protection services.
An island country as Sri Lanka has issues with human trafficking and easily to transport humans as there are many tourists. Many women, men, and children. Are being taken out of the country and transported to the West. As a newly developed country, we have a high changed in kidnapping people out of the country. Those who victimized used for sexual needs and labor work. Migrates and women and kids exposed to the risk of getting traffic.
The country has been detecting and finding trafficking victims. Even though there isn’t a large amount of recognized crime of human trafficking, the government has been trying to prevent it. Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) on the Identification, Protection, and Referral of Victims of Human Trafficking are examples of Sri Lanka attempts. Sri Lanka even established criminal laws of human trafficking- the Convention on Preventing and Combating Trafficking in Women and Children for Prostitution (Act Nº. 30 of 2005)4 and the Penal Code (Amendment Act No 16 of 2006). From the Trafficking in Persons Report 2014, the National Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force formed the SOP. The SOP is a step by step guide for protecting victims. They serviced to victims of human trafficking with equality, fairness, and respect for their dignity and privacy.
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.
Human trafficking is a major concern in Hungary that has become more evident in the past fifty years. The government of Hungary has been gradually making significant efforts to eliminate trafficking. In the past, Hungary’s government has provided funding to NGO-run trafficking shelters that provide medical care and legal assistance to victims. Hungary has also conducted anti-trafficking campaigns. In May 2012, a prevention program was created to raise awareness about human trafficking. In September 2012, the government passed an amendment to Act CXXXV that permitted the government to create regulations for identifying victims of human trafficking. In 2013, the government of Hungary adopted the National Strategy against Trafficking in Human Beings for 2013-2016, which took into consideration combating the issue on both the national level and the international level.
Hungary aims to combat human trafficking at the national level by increasing quality and availability of victim services and victim care, increasing law enforcement, and spreading awareness. Hungary also wants to implement an effective victim identification and protection system, as well as increase the efficiency of prosecution for perpetrators. Hungary also realizes the need for international cooperation to solve this issue and aims to increase collaboration with other countries in order to raise awareness, prosecute perpetrators, and provide adequate support for victims.
There are many worrying statistics about human trafficking all around the world, and the US has had a staggering amount of it going on over the last few decades. Unfortunately, the United States has had a long history of tragedies with human trafficking. Until 2000, such a thing wasn’t even considered illegal, and there are hundreds of thousands of victims being exploited in the US today. There is an average of 150 cases of trafficking that are reported every day, and many more that go under the radar, and it’s reported that children are even more vurnerable than adults relating to sexual exploitation in the US. This is an emergency for not only us, but also the countries surrounding due to large groups/gangs and international trafficking.
The US and multiple other delegations of the UN have worked hand in hand to make resolutions to attempt to fix this situation in the past. Things such as border checks between countries, and data collection must be used in order to either predict, or altogether find, block, and convict traffickers. A lot of times, such actions are organized, and some data collection could be all it takes to stop a lot of these cases. Research from organizations that would find out holes in plans and knowledge would make anti-trafficking efforts much more effective and faster. Every member country of this committee should show commitment by making sure human rights crimes aren’t happening and that more vetting happens to minimize human trafficking.
With millions of people worldwide being put in human trafficking whether it be for sexual exploitation, slave labor, etc. this current situation should be highly concerning to the general assembly. Both adults and children are currently at risk for being trafficked and these people commit despicable actions, going all they way to killing their victims. The international community needs to research the patterns and the ways that such trafficking happens, and all the best efforts should be put on stopping this emergency.
WORKS CITED
“Human Trafficking Cases Hit a 13-Year Record High, New UN Report Shows | UN News.” United Nations, United Nations, 29 Jan. 2019, https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/01/1031552.
“Rising Human Trafficking Takes on ‘Horrific Dimensions’: Almost a Third of Victims Are Children | UN News.” United Nations, United Nations, 7 Jan. 2019, https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/01/1029912.
American Psychological Association, American Psychological Association, Feb. 2017, https://www.apa.org/about/policy/trafficking-women-girls.
Committee: Social, Cultural, and Humanitarian (SOCHUM)
Country: Australia
Delegate: Allison Wei, Troy High School
Human Trafficking
Human trafficking is degrading of human dignity on all accounts. But more than a simple assault of morality, human trafficking’s enslavement of an estimated 40.3M persons has resulted in a tremendous loss of productivity and social and economic potential. Australia recognizes human trafficking for the heinous crime that it is, and is an active actor in combating human trafficking both regionally and internationally. As a Tier 1 human trafficking country – Tier 1 being the best – Australia emphasizes these three focus areas in the fight to eliminate human trafficking: 1) establishing regional and international partnerships 2) promoting transparency and accountability in the finance sector, and, 3) victim support.
Although Australia itself is not a human trafficking origin hotspot, like many other countries, it is nonetheless a part of the global network that trafficking occurs through. Each year, 3,000 to 10,000 people are trafficked into Australia the majority of these being female migrants from Asia. Therefore, due to the international nature of human trafficking, it is extremely necessary to establish regional partnerships to rescue human trafficking victims most effectively. Australia itself has partnered with the Association of Southeastern Nations (ASEAN) for 15 years. Along with ASEAN, Australia recently launched the $80M ASEAN-Australia Counter Trafficking Initiative; this 10-year program conducts skill training sessions for police and judges, bolstering the capabilities of the legal sector to handle the risks and responsibilities posed by human trafficking. Ultimately, this is part of a global effort to hold traffickers accountable by strengthening judicial frameworks. Overall, regional partnerships allow for effective coordination of law enforcement activities and investigations so that victims are able to get the justice they deserve in the fastest, safest, way.
Australia has also worked to combat human trafficking through financial means. Seeing that over $150B is made from human trafficking annually, there is no doubt adequate financial incentive to support this horrendous practice. In fact, modern day slavery in the form of forced labor is embedded into global supply chains. To address this problem, Australia passed the 2018 Modern Slavery Act. Under this bill, large corporations that intake over $100M annually are required to identify and report on the risks of human trafficking in their supply chain. Australia strongly recommends that other countries quickly pass similar legislation. Not only does this hold companies accountable for their actions, but it also fosters much needed awareness on the business sector’s role in human trafficking. Such legislation is especially urgent when considering the circumstances that lead to trafficking in the first place. Too often, victims of human trafficking are small business owners without a reliable, safe line of credit financing. Without any other options, they turn to risky borrowing and labour migration practices, leaving them vulnerable to human trafficking. At the same time, this also encourages forced marriage (which is closely associated with the growth of human trafficking) to raise human capital. Considering that there are over 200M small business owners in emerging economies alone, the risks and stakes are incredibly high. However, just as finance can incentivize human trafficking, it can also be a tool for tremendous good. On an international level, the financial sector can be used to stop human trafficking in unparalleled ways. Australia partnered with Liechtenstein and the Netherlands to create the Liechtenstein Initiative (also known as “FAST” Initiative): a financial framework to combat human trafficking. Under the FAST framework, the finance sector works to assist human trafficking initiatives in various ways, such as cooperating in human trafficking investigations, creating policies that exclude firms that utilize forced labor, and raising funds to ensure that victims are supported and aren’t vulnerable to being trafficked again. If the FAST blueprint were to fully implemented globally, modern slavery could very possibly be eradicated by 2030.
However, law enforcement, legal, and finance based solutions are only part of the equation. At the very heart of combating human trafficking is victim support. Throughout decades, Australia has consistently supported community groups and NGOs that provide resources to human trafficking victims, approving packages totaling $150M. Victim support is in fact a key pillar of Australia’s National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking from 2015-2019. First and foremost, victims can only be supported properly if they are identified properly. Therefore, we must be cautious to quickly criminalize and instead, conduct careful (and safe) initial screenings of at risk populations for human trafficking – migrant workers, foreign students, and workers in the commercial sex trade for example. Since many human trafficking victims are migrants, it is important that there is legal protection so that they can temporarily (or even permanently) reside in countries while their case is being investigated. In many cases, foreign students and migrants continue to be trafficked out of fear that they will be deported back to their native country or deemed in violation of their immigration status. We cannot allow potential deportation to be used as a threat against victims. Australia offers temporary 30 day visas while a victim’s case is processed, and allows for extensions upon victim cooperation with law enforcement. Most importantly, victims should receive legal, medical, mental, and financial support as they progress in their recovery. Additionally, educational and employment opportunities are vital to ensuring that victims do not fall back into human trafficking. All throughout this process, victim’s identities should remain confidential to protect their privacy and prevent retaliation by traffickers – under Australia’s Trafficking protocol, we do this by anonymizing sensitive identifying data. As important as victim support is, there isn’t nearly enough resources or funding. Australia calls upon its fellow member states to renew their commitments to funding victim support and compensation, as necessary.
Australia looks forward to collaborating with delegates in committee to uphold our universal human rights and preserve the dignity of all global citizens in abolishing human trafficking.
Unfortunately, Italy is both a destination and a transit country for women, children, and men trafficked transnationally for commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor. Women and children are trafficked mainly from Nigeria, Romania, China, and Uzbekistan. Chinese men and women are specifically trafficked to Italy for the purpose of forced labor. Additionally, Romani children continue to be trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced begging.Traffickers reportedly are moving victims more frequently within Italy, often keeping victims in major cities for only a few months at a time, in an attempt to evade police detection. The Italian government has been making efforts to solve this issue, including making the punishment for human traffickers more strict, and creating article 18 of the anti-trafficking law, which allows authorities to grant residence permits and provide protection and job training services to victims of trafficking. Recently, the Italian government expanded article 18 to include labour trafficking victims, adding things such as a constant helpline available via phone.
Italy is currently enforcing a anti-trafficking campaign across the country, and taking action to solve this issue by enforcing trafficking laws. A possible solution for this issue could involve better border security for people entering the country to sift out human traffickers.
Human trafficking is a significant issue in Indonesia. A large portion of Indonisians working abroad are undocumented, which puts them at a higher risk for exploitation. Out of 4.5 million Indonesians working abroad, it is estimated that 1.9 million are undocumented. Many Indonisians are being trafficked to foriegn nations, especially Malaysia and Thailand. Many Indonesians are put into forced labor in Malaysian factories and on their fields. In addition, some workers are given fake Thai identification by shell companies and forced to work on fishing trawlers. Another problem is with private labor agencies, many of which are active in human trafficking.
Indonesia has been increasing efforts to combat these varied issues since 2007 with new, more comprehensive legislation. More recently, Indonesia has been suspending licenses for any private labor agencies suspected of human trafficking. Indonesia has also been locating and shutting more trafficking rings as well as providing shelter, care, and monetary compensation for victims. There have been social media campaigns for awareness, as well as training provided to local law enforcement on how to deal with human trafficking. The United Nations needs to help struggling nations deal with this issue by providing funding to areas with high rates of human trafficking.
Delegate: Cooper Hoeksema, Forest Hills Northern High School
Human Trafficking in Ukraine
40.3 million people are trafficked and enslaved worldwide in our present age. Two of every five cases of human trafficking are actually brougt to court for prosecution globally. Human trafficking is a major issue for the world and Ukraine. Many times people believe that human trafficking occurs across country borders, however, the majority of cases are found to be cases of domestic trafficking. The United Nations office of Drugs and Crime released a statement in 2018 that said human trafficking is at an all time high and it needs to be stopped.
In the 1900s and early 2000s, Ukraine, being a new country, was a safe haven’t for victims of human trafficking. Many people escaped and made a home in Ukraine. By the mid 2000s, 22,000 people a year were finding themselves in instances of human bondange or slavery, according to a survery conducted by the University of Nebraska.
On 20 September 2011 Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada passed a law that would focus on allowing authorities to intervene in matters of human trafficking. The Ukrainian Cabinet, by its Regulation of 21 March 2012 , also adopted the State Target-Oriented Social Program for the Counteraction against Human Trafficking that would last until 2015. A Law on Ukraine Combating Trafficking in Humans was adopted in order to aid in the halting of human trafficking in the country. It defines the rules and regulations for prosecuting perpetrators of this act. It also defines special requirements in dealing with child victims. Ukraine takes the matters very seriously and has been willing to find solutions.
Ukraine believes that this issue is very prevalent in society and is willing to support the Political Declaration on the implementation of the United Nations Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Person, adopted by the General United Nations Assembly in September. Ukraine will be respectful of the rights of the victims and work together with them and their families to prevent trafficking from happening elsewhere. Human trafficking is a global threat and Ukraine is willing to do what it takes to end the threat to the world and its people.
Works Cited
LAW OF UKRAINE on Combating Trafficking in Human. 12 Aug. 2011.
Pozniak, Oleksii. CARIM EAST -CONSORTIUM FOR APPLIED RESEARCH ON INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION Human Traffi Cking Trends in Ukraine. 2013.
“Statement by the Delegation of Ukraine at the Security Council Open Debate on Trafficking of Persons in Conflict Situations.” Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the United Nations, 2017, ukraineun.org/en/press-center/284-statement-by-the-delegation-of-ukraine-at-the-security-council-open-debate-on-trafficking-of-persons-in-conflict-situations/. Accessed 17 Nov. 2019.
Human trafficking is the illegal transportation of men, women, and children against their will, and affects every country in the world. According to the International Labor Organization (ILO) report from 2014, human trafficking earns global profits of $150 billion a year for traffickers, $99 billion comes from commercial sexual exploitation, with 24.9 million victims trapped in this modern-day slavery. Those most vulnerable in society or those with the fewest rights are the most likely to be trafficked, with 25% of victims under the age of 18, and 71% of victims are women and girls.
As one of the main entry points for migration into Europe, victims of trafficking may be among the undocumented migrants entering the country. Under the Alien Act law, which lasted until 2001, there were penalties for human trafficking but there was no legislation criminalizing the act. In 2002, the first Greek law to criminalize and outlaw human trafficking was passed. Since then, Greece has been making significant efforts against human trafficking, such as the anti-trafficking unit making investigative efforts to identify and assist victims. The Office of the National Rapporteur on Human Trafficking led anti-trafficking efforts, including eliminating forced labor in local government supply chains. According to the standards set by the United States’ Trafficking Victims Protection Act, as well as its 2019 Trafficking in Persons Report Greece is classified as a Tier-2 nation and has been since 2006.
The Government of Greece believes that all nations should ratify the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children. Adopting this Protocol would be a great start for counties to begin creating their own legislation towards preventing human trafficking, and prosecuting traffickers.
Racism is a topic that is very prevalent in this time and age and is very large in countries such as the U.S and France just to name a couple. This has been affecting our society as a whole by giving others of different race and/or origin a bad name. Racism has been around since the beginning of the human race and it grew and spread to others’ thoughts and minds. Racism is also a very big topic in a country such as the U.S, as they have been seen as tolerant but it is there and with great numbers. We need to handle this topic with the utmost importance.
Xenophobia and Racism is very rare in Equatorial Guinea as we support being inclusive and new ideas. This was also stated by our president as he supports being inclusive and preventive diplomacy. We do need to bring up racism in France as they have been both xenophobia and racism. France is not the only one as it plagues almost all countries even ones so advanced as the U.S, Italy, France, and Sudan. There have been limits on free speech in Europe such as article 17 and eliminating hate speech as a whole.
We most likely do need to be honest with our people and tell them the history they deserve to know. The youth need to be taught the atrocities done by our ancestors on other people’s restrictions on history has been seen most commonly in Germany and the U.S. By doing this the people will not be ill-informed and will have a better perspective of the world and other peoples. We may also need to put more restrictions on hate speech, though this is just if it gets too out of hand. One other thing we need to do is introduce people who hate each other’s race and bring them together and let them talk out their differences to get a sense of understanding. These are just some suggestions to do for these racial tensions around the world.
Human Trafficking is the use of force, fraud, or, coercion to obtain a form of labor or commercial sex act. Victims of human trafficking can be of any age, gender, race, or nationality. No matter where you go in the world there will be human trafficking as it doesn’t discriminate which makes it even more dangerous and/or lethal. More than 80% of people being exploited are being used for forced labor, and another 10% are being exploited for sexual acts. In 2018, 40.3 million peoples worldwide have been victims of human trafficking, 75% of these people are female. The human trafficking industry makes a reported 150 billion USD worldwide. Human Trafficking affects the entire world and is a scourge that needs to be dealt with as it doesn’t discriminate and will continue to feed off of people’s bodies and labor. These people are being stripped of their rights and we need to address and banish this scourge.
The U.N has discussed human trafficking several times and they have pledged to “stamp out human trafficking” but no significant change has been done. The UN has the means and the knowledge to fight human trafficking but they need political will and financial resources. Here in Equatorial Guinea, we do have a problem with human trafficking as we are a source country for it. Here these peoples come from Nigeria, Benin, Cameroon, and Gabon and they are forced to work. We will have to thank France as they have helped us through it by trying to increase border security. France has also helped surrounding countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, and Togo. Once again The U.S has also been assisting by suggesting ideas by collecting data from previous human trafficking reports. We do have a plan that was suggested by the U.S and we are using it currently. This plan is to raise awareness, provide shelter and services for victims of human trafficking, and start more investigation. We are trying to improve our country and decrease human trafficking and would like any help we can get.
Now we need to seriously address Human Trafficking and start coming up with possible solutions and implement those. One big thing we need to do is toughen up borders and border security, by doing this it would be harder for traffickers to get through. We also need to implement programs helping victims of human trafficking as we have done here in Equatorial Guinea. If we band together and come up with ideas and plans to implement we have the chance to overcome the scourge that is human trafficking.
Committee Name: Social Humanitarian and Cultural Committee
Topic Area: Human Trafficking
Country: Senegal
Delegate: Alyssa Wilkes
The people of Senegal deeply believe that the U.N. policy regarding the situation in Senegal surrounding human trafficking needs to be expanded and acted upon. As a country where human– and specifically child– trafficking is unfortunately common, the people of Senegal would like measures taken to help eliminate human trafficking in Least Developed Countries.
As a country with a fairly average Human Development Index (HDI) for a Least Developed Country, scoring a 0.505, Senegal would like to be seen as an example for countries with a lower HDI as a country attempting to put an end towards human trafficking. Resolution 61/180 attempts to discuss possible solutions to eliminating the trafficking of children and women, yet the crisis is only getting worse every year. As a nation, Senegal is making an attempt to protect victims of human trafficking, and trying to make efforts in preventing human trafficking, which Senegal believes should be the standard across the nations of the U.N. As a standard, Senegal would like to propose a widespread search for human traffickers and the people who enable human trafficking, and a system that offers help for victims of human trafficking. As a country that also receives many people being trafficked and people fleeing human trafficking, Senegal is personally invested in finding a solution to this long rampant problem.
Human trafficking is direct violation of the rights bestowed in Articles 3, 4, and 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights(UDHR). Article 3 states that “Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person”. Article 4 of the UDHR states that “No one should be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade should be prohibited in all their forms”. Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “No one shall be subjected to torture or cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment”. Human trafficking could be described as a violation of all of these articles, as human trafficking is defined as a category of slavery, which is out-right prohibited by Article 4, as quoted.
Human trafficking is the illegal transportation of people against their will, for the purpose of exploitation (GLICA). This exploitation can take shape in ways such as forced labor and sex trafficking. According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), there are 40.3 million people globally that are victims of the horrors of human trafficking (Human Trafficking Hotline). The issue of human trafficking should be a major concern for nations around the world, one that urgently needs to be addressed. Forced labor as part of human trafficking, commonly referred to as labor trafficking, is one of the larger issues that this committee should look at, with 20.1 million people trapped in forced labor in the agriculture, construction, domestic work, and manufacturing industries, even producing products that people use on an everyday basis such as bananas, beans, beef, and many more (Polaris and DOL). Sexual trafficking affects another 4.8 million in forced sexual exploitation, and another 15.4 million in forced sexual marriage (ILO).
In 2017, Myanmar reported 225 human trafficking cases involving at least 360 victims, a 71 percent increase from 2016. Myanmar has undertaken a number of initiatives to combat human trafficking, such as in 2004, signing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons (Palermo Protocol), and again in 2005, Myanmar enacted the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Law, which criminalizes all forms of sexual/labor trafficking. Myanmar has signed bilateral agreements condemning human trafficking with neighboring countries Thailand and China and is a member of the Coordinated Mekong Ministerial Initiatives against Trafficking (COMMIT) and the Asia Regional Trafficking in Persons (ARTIP) Project. In 2017, Myanmar also increased the number of personnel working in anti-trafficking law enforcement units and task forces. Myanmar plans to amend the 2005 anti-trafficking law to strengthen investigations of trafficking cases by authorizing anti-trafficking police to follow-up and take more stringent actions against traffickers (according to AsiaFoundation). These significant efforts have brought Myanmar closer to complying with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking according to the CIA World Factbook.
Myanmar recommends that countries take action to increase the number of anti-trafficking personnel, criminalizing all forms of sexual and labor trafficking, increase awareness of trafficking by investing in public libraries that provide awareness training to at-risk youth, and drawing up a five-year plan including four sectors in cooperation with relevant ministries, UN bodies, international organizations, INGOs and social communities (Myanmar Office). Trafficking affects millions globally, and it the UN’s job to inform and prevent these tragedies from occurring again.
Unfortunately, in this day and age people are being taken from their families and sold illegally for the purpose of sexual exploitation and forced labor. The numbers are staggering when it comes to human trafficking globally. Twenty percent of human trafficking victims are children, and in some regions and countries, almost all victims are children.
India has seen an increasing problem when it comes to human trafficking. 2016 saw a 20 percent increase in human trafficking cases from the previous year of 2015. In recent years, human trafficking in India has reached a crisis level. In 2016, the US State Department predicted that 65 million people were trafficked into forced labor through and within India. The same year only 5,500 cases of human trafficking were reported, suggesting there is a very minimal knowledge of how great a problem human trafficking truly is. Legislation has been drafted to work to combat these crimes, however, more needs to be done. It is predicted that a large portion of victims are smuggled into India from countries such as Bangladesh. Working with other nations to solve this problem is necessary if this issue ever wants to move in a successful trend.
India’s goals are to combine forces with foreign nations close to India that are potentially having victims trafficked into India and out of India in the respective nations. India would also like to work to allocate more funding and resources to cracking down on these heinous crimes, and seeks the help of other nations to do the same.
The high level of unemployment and difficult economic conditions faced by the State of Palestine are some of the primary factors leading to human trafficking within Palestine for the purposes of sex exploitation and child labour, mostly of women and children.¹ Some men are also trafficked for forced labour to Israel and illegal Israeli settlements.¹ Children have also been used by Israeli forces as human shields (in 17 cases) and informants.²
Any attempts at solving the issue of human trafficking must try to stop the cause, and not the symptoms, of the problem. Economic assistance to countries facing difficulties, and the end of illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian land, are a must. We must work together to prevent the need for these activities, and remove the economic, and other, incentives for participation in them.
1. “A Human Rights Report on Trafficking in Persons …,” accessed November 15, 2019, http://www.protectionproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Palestine-FINAL-2012.pdf)
2. DCIP staff, “Recruitment and Use of Palestinian Children in Armed Conflict,” Defense for Children Palestine, accessed November 15, 2019, https://www.dci-palestine.org/recruitment_and_use_of_palestinian_children_in_armed_conflict)
Human traffickers make billions of dollars every year, by ensnaring millions of people in nightmarish situations around the world. These human traffickers use violence, threats, deception, debt bondage, and other manipulative tactics to force people to engage in prostitution or forced labor. The International Labor Organization estimates that there are 40.3 million victims of human trafficking globally, 81% of them are trapped in forced labor, 25% of them are children, and 75% are women and girls. It is estimated that forced labor and human trafficking is a $150 billion industry worldwide.
In the 2007 UN Report of the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children, it was reported that Qatar has improved its legal response to human trafficking and has improved the care for the victims involved. Qatar supports human rights and has been working to uphold these innate rights inside its borders. Under the Qatar National Vision 2030, the rule of law is at the core of the social contract between the State and individuals under its jurisdiction. Qatar believes that all individuals, institutions and entities, including the State itself, are accountable under the legislation in force, which is applicable to all without distinction and subject to an independent judiciary.
To solve this pressing issue, this council should emphasize three things: prevention, combating current human trafficking, and treatment for victims involved in human trafficking. As a means for prevention, Qatar has already spread awareness for its people, to protect themselves and avoid certain situations, to prevent their risk of being human trafficked. By creating commercials and displaying them by all means of media, Qatar has lowered its human trafficking incidents considerably.
To combat existing organizations that human traffic, it is imperative that a nation’s police and legal system are up to the task. This committee needs to support developing nation’s legal systems for them to effectively combat this issue.
The experience of being human trafficked is extremely demeaning and traumatic. Because of this Qatar has created clinics for victims of human trafficking to help them heal physically, emotionally and mentally. While combating human trafficking, the victims cannot be forgotten.
At the international level, Qatar believes that international law and the rule of international law are a source of stability, security and safety for the international community; no world Power or organization can achieve peace and security without adhering to the provisions and principles of international law and the rule of law.
Social, Cultural, and Humanitarian(SOCHUM): Human Trafficking
It is one of the greatest pities of the modern world that human beings continued to be trafficked between countries across the globe, creating a global slave market. The United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking has made much progress in aiding law enforcement to fight human trafficking and providing organizational support to other institutions. Recent resolutions from the Security Council such as Resolution 2388 in 2017 and Resolution 2331 in 2017 reaffirm the UN’s committment to opposing widespread human trafficking across the globe. The fight against human trafficking is concordant with the basic principles outlined in the United Nation’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights, particularly articles 3, 4, 5, 9, 12, and 13. Moreover, because human trafficking both reflects and creates poverty, exploitation, and discrimination, it is necessary that member nations work to ameliorate the issues of human trafficking within their nations.
New Zealand has made incredible progress on the issue of human trafficking. Because of the isolated nature of being an island nation, New Zealand has been able to implement strict regulations upon entrance to the country to ensure that traffickers are unable to enter the country. The United States Department of State has consistently ranked New Zealand a Tier 1 nation in terms of its human trafficking issues, indicating that New Zealand has been able to keep human trafficking issues to a minimum. Despite the high achievements, there have been some persistent concerns about the cooperation between governmental departments in fighting particular instances of sex trafficking, which is something the New Zealand government has been adamant to work on. New Zealand’s policies of decriminalized sex work have allowed the government to work more closely with communities of sex workers and migrants, allowing the identification of trafficking victims in a timely manner.
New Zealand’s goals are to urge all remaining countries to sign the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, and to emphasize that member nations should update/revise their laws to ensure that new methods of trafficking can be combatted. Additionally, New Zealand hopes that member states can allocate additional funding for the United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking in order to rebolster its vital programs. Finally, New Zealand wishes that member states could focus on addressing the structural causes of human trafficking such as poverty, regional instability, failed states, and global disparities in economic opportunities, which have broader impacts and prevent a true reduction in human trafficking unless ameliorated.
The United Nations identifies human trafficking as a large, multinational problem. The UN defines it as a form of modernized slavery. Millions of people across the world are the “victims” of human trafficking at this very moment. These people are being sold into forced labor, sexual assault, and other atrocious things. In many areas of the world it is far too easy for human trafficking to happen. Trafficking occurs in nearly every country on the planet. The one country that is the exception to this trend however, is the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Because of the policies and laws they have in place, there are no people that have been trafficked into or out of the DPRK.
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has enacted laws for the purpose of protecting its citizens. Article 150 of the penal code criminalizes the trafficking of children in the Glorious Republic, totally eliminating the problem of child trafficking that plagues so many countries around the world. The DPRK also has laws protecting women from the horrors of human trafficking. Aside from laws specifically designed to protect their people, the DPRK has also eliminated the trafficking problem by the restrictions on its borders. They have purposely made it very difficult to enter or exit the country without the government and law enforcement knowing. This is to prevent foreigners from entering the country to traffic the korean women and children. It was made difficult to leave, so that in the rare case a foreign criminal makes it into the country, they won’t be able to escape with any of the DPRK’s protected citizens. These laws and policies have eliminated both the problem of domestic trafficking, and also the threat of being trafficked by foreigners. With both of those problems being eradicated, there is no trafficking whatsoever in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Bearing in mind the lack of a trafficking problem in the DPRK, the Korean delegation would like to see the UN enact policies so that all nations may follow the perfect example set forth by the Glorious Republic. If every member state of the United Nations was to set border regulations as strict as those in the DPRK, the possibility to traffic women and children between countries would be eliminated, therefore eliminating much of the overall trafficking problem. Aside from eliminating multinational trafficking, stricter border regulations would also promote independence and sovereignty between nations because any criminal activity would be limited to the country of origin. The DPRK believe that most countries would agree that they don’t want another country’s criminal issues to be spilling over their borders and tarnishing their society. If this committe wanted to find a real, effective solution to the human trafficking problem , they need not look any further than the policies that have existed for years in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Committee: Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee
Topic: Human Trafficking
Country: Peru
Despite being an illegal and deplorable act, human trafficking is still a common occurrence around the world. The trafficking of men, women, and children is done throughout the world for forced labor, sexual slavery, and organ extraction. The targeted people often live in impoverished areas, are made false promises, and forced to comply. The International Labor Organization estimates that there are as many as 40.3 million victims to human trafficking globally and over three-quarters of that being women and children. The United Nations has made a committee specifically for human trafficking and views it as a modern form of enslavement, but many countries have yet to take proactive measures to protect the people of their country from this heinous crime.
The Republic of Peru is a source, transit, and destination country for human trafficking. Men, women, and children are all trafficked into logging, mining, agriculture, brick making, and domestic servitude, as well as sexual slavery. The impoverished, rural areas of the Amazon are hotspots for the traffickers as there is little to no government and they are able to make false promises of education to women and children. Indigenous Incan women are extremely vulnerable targets to debt bondage and often do not realize when they are able to leave. The terrorist group Sendero Luminoso, Shining Path, has been reported to be recruiting children as soldiers and drug mules. Peruvians are trafficked and then forced into prostitution in countries such as Japan, Italy, Spain, the United States, and Ecuador. Peruvians are not only to be portrayed as victims, however, as Bolivians and Ecuadorian citizens are also often forced prostitution in Peru.
The Government of Peru does not completely comply with the minimum standards for eliminating trafficking, they are, however, making significant efforts to do so. In just the past year the government has increased its law enforcement efforts against trafficking crimes and they have created many public initiatives. Despite their efforts they fail to address the high incidence of labor trafficking and do not provide adequate victim services. The Republic of Peru would like to see an increase in education in schools and throughout towns in the country as well as more measures taken in countries where other countries’ citizens are trafficked.
Submitted to: Social Humanitarian and Cultural Committee
Topic: Human Trafficking
Country: Mexico
Delegate: Serena Ahmad
School: Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy
Human trafficking is an offense that is prevalent in almost all parts of the world. It is an issue that the United Nations (UN), and particularly the United Nations General Assembly Third Committee, has focused on in recent years, as evidenced by its resolution 72/195, adopted in 2017. Although there have been measures taken to combat human trafficking in the past, it is still a deep concern on international, regional, and national levels. Instances of human trafficking have increased in recent years due to worldwide migration flows. The International Labor Organization (ILO) estimates that in 2016 alone, 40.3 million people were subjected to modern slavery. The Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC) has stated that all states have a responsibility to try and prevent human trafficking, and this can be done by investigating any cases that occur, and to bring perpetrators of human trafficking to justice.
The fundamental issue behind human trafficking is that it is a violation of human rights, including the right to life, liberty, and security; the right to freedom of movement; and the right not to be subjected to cruel and unusual punishment. Groups that have been particularly victimized are women and children. Human traffickers in Mexico often hold the children of women sold into the sex trade hostage, in order to force the mothers to keep working. According to a report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the vast majority (approximately 71%) of human trafficking victims are women and girls. Out of 99 cases of trafficked and exploited refugees identified under the International Organization for Migration’s (IOM) counter trafficking programs in the Middle East, 35 were girls, 31 women, 25 men, 8 boys. Out of those, 31 girls and 26 women ended up in forced labor situations. Mexico’s National Human Rights Commission says 85% of the country’s human trafficking victims between 2012 and 2017 were women and girls. The commission’s definition covers a range of 26 crimes from sexual and labor exploitation to organ trafficking. It found more than 5,200 victims in documented cases during the five-year period.
The delegation of Mexico still struggles with various cases of human trafficking and acknowledges the need for further action worldwide to help mitigate the situation. Mexico stopped giving financial aid to anti-human trafficking organizations and instead run shelters and victim care directly, according to President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in June of this year. Despite the steps Mexico has taken attempting to minimize the amount of human trafficking, this issue will require more thought and cooperation from the international community. Much more work needs to be done to fully eradicate modern slavery and human trafficking violations from society. States often disagree on how to combat human trafficking, and the delegation of Mexico is looking forward to working with fellow members of the United Nations to discover solutions that are feasible for the international community.
Human trafficking is the illegal transportion of people from one country to another usually for sexual explotation or forced labor. Human trafficking occurs in many less devleoped countries despite the fact that the act of human trafficking is illegal. Throughout the history of man, people have been forcefully used for labor be it because of the color of their skin or from the spoils of war. Slavery saw its first major decrease in the 1800s when many western nations began to outlaw it. Despite the efforts of the international community, human trafficking still occurs in most parts of the world. To help put an end to human trafficking Nigeria is willing to work with the international community to solve this problem.
Throughout our history, our citizens have been exploited by human traffickers. Nigeria is used as a source, transit and destination for human trafficking. Many children and women are taken by traffickers in our country. Male children, who are trafficked, are used for forced labor such as street vending, mining, servitude, begging and occasionally as child soldiers. While trafficked women are used for domestic servitude and sexual exploitation. Even though President Goodluck Jonathan re-enacted the Trafficking in Persons Law Enforcement and Administration Act, which increases the penalties for trafficking, human trafficking still occurs. To help end this problem for all Nigeria is willing to help find a solution for this issue.
To prevent human trafficking we suggest a course of action that not only increases penalty for trafficking, but also to help prevent trafficking. Another suggestion would be to educate people in rural areas to help them avoid these situations and to increase security on borders to help prevent people being trafficked over international borders. To be able to find a proper solution, all countries must work together to end this sick and deplorable act.
Despite its immorality and illegality, human trafficking is a major problem striking many parts of the world; particularly, Kenya and other parts of Eastern Africa. Human trafficking is the trade of humans primarily for forced labor, sexual slavery, and organ extration. Kenya is particularly ravaged by human trafficking due to a lack of strong, coordinated oversight. Currently, using the United States’ State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, only 33 out of 188 countries fully comply with the United States’ Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000. Many of the countries that do not fully comply simply do not have the funds to combat human trafficking.
The Republic of Kenya refuses to accept the current human trafficking conditions in Kenya, and desires a continued effort to erradicate human trafficking from Kenya. Despite not fully complying with the United States’ Trafficking Victims Protection Act, Kenya is making strides in developing the necessary control to comply. Kenya strongly believes in the importance of permanently eradicating human trafficking throughout Kenya and Eastern Africa.
A potential solution to eliminate human trafficking would be a combined effort and funding from nations to enforce laws and statutes in place that prohibit human trafficking. Funding is a major restriction in the eradication of human trafficking as well as a major support for human trafficking. Because many countries cannot easily combat human trafficking, human trafficking is generating over $150 billion every year in profit globally. Another potential solution is to focus on eradicating human trafficking through privatizing the capture of human traffickers: allow private companies to obtain any funds of human traffickers that are captured.
Delegate: Lydia Glashouwer, Forest Hills Northern High School
In December of 1998, the assembly came to the decision to establish a committee to help prevent human trafficking and other transnational organized crime. This Ad Hoc committee has gathered 13 times, and during the 10th session the protocol to prevent, suppress and punish trafficking in persons, especially women and children was put in place. Then in 2007, in Brazil, the United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UN.GIFT) was created to promote initiatives for local governments to address the human trafficking issues.
In response to this issue, Canada was one of the first nations to ratify the Protocol to Prevent human trafficking. On the local level, the royal Canadian mounted police went through with a human trafficking threat assessment between 2005 and 2009. Recently, it has been made clear that there is a lot of trafficking going on within the country, and many investigations have taken place across the country in a way to try and eliminate this. In 2017, the Public Safety Canada led a federal task force in response to trafficking, and the government is going to provide $14.5 million to establish an anti-trafficking hotline. Canada has increasingly been a hub for this illegal trafficking, and it can be seen that it has been doing, and plans to do much to prevent trafficking in the future.
It can very clearly be seen that Canada is very much so against human trafficking, and has been doing many things to try and prevent it. A new plan from 2018 poses the idea of the situation being split into three different sections: prosecution, prevention, and protection. In terms of prosecution, people can be put in jail for up to 14 years for trafficking, and people working in child protective services have been given training to be able to recognize when children are being trafficked. In order to prevent human trafficking Canada has put forward millions of dollars to provide support for victims and spread awareness about the issue. Finally police have been increasingly more strict towards cases involving trafficking, and the government has given victims shelter, medical and psychological care, food, and help with legal services. Although human trafficking is a huge issue in Canada, the country has been making many moves to try and combat it.
Works Cited
alexander.sauer. “Session 13 of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Elaboration of a Convention against Transnational Organized Crime.” Unodc.Org, 2019, www.unodc.org/unodc/en/treaties/CTOC/background/session13.html. Accessed 15 Nov. 2019.
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marcos.santos. “UN.GiFT – United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking.” Unodc.Org, 2019, www.unodc.org/lpo-brazil/en/trafico-de-pessoas/ungift.html. Accessed 15 Nov. 2019.
ODS Team. “ODS HOME PAGE.” Un.Org, 2019, documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/V03/901/69/PDF/V0390169.pdf?OpenElement. Accessed 15 Nov. 2019.
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United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. “Refworld | 2018 Trafficking in Persons Report – Canada.” Refworld, 2018, www.refworld.org/docid/5b3e0b7f3.html. Accessed 15 Nov. 2019.
Human Trafficking is a large crime that is very common as well as highly illegal and feared. Kidnapping is in itself a horrific crime, but being held hostage long term and forced to participate in sexual acts against your will is even worse. Human trafficking normally results in death as well, due to the fact that many victims are not found. Historically, the most vulnerable populations are those afforded the fewest rights – such as women, children, minorities, and migrants. Human trafficking is viewed by the United Nations as a form of modern day slavery.
The United Kingdom is a destination country for men, women, and children primarily from Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe who are subjected to human trafficking for the purposes of sexual slavery and forced labour, including domestic servitude. The United Kingdom stands against human trafficking and will do whatever is necessary to prevent it. It has not been a top priority; however, with migration laws up in the air due to Brexit, we want to end these crimes and keep more tourists and traveling citizens safe.
The UK wants to stop this criminal activity, but with handling Brexit and instability that comes with it, we are willing to cooperate with other countries who also strive to end human trading.
In the past, human trafficking has primarily been for sexual exploitation with only a small percentage being for labor exploitation. Recently, (January 7, 2019) the UN released a report that says human trafficking rates are on the rise. Since 2010, human trafficking rates have shown a steady increase. The International Labor Organization estimates that there are 40.3 million victims of human trafficking globally; 81% of those victims are trapped in forced labor and 75% are women and girls. Human trafficking, economically, is an enormous industry, accumulating about $150 billion worldwide. In more recent years, terrorist organizations have been using it to increase the number of victims they have as well as spread fear. They have used victims as child soldiers, forced labor and sexual slaves. With the ever-growing roles for the victims human trafficking growing as well as the amount of human trafficking, it is apparent we must take action. However, as an international community we fail to comprehend the nuances that accompany human trafficking; Hence why actions in the past have failed to protect the victims. The UN has set up a voluntary trust fund for victims of trafficking, especially women and children. While this is a step in the right direction, the trust fund implies that the women and children victims can escape the sex trafficking in the first placce.
In recent times, the international community has seen a surge in asylum seekers; Germany has seen a great increase. Germany has a comprehensive system of counselling centers for victims of human trafficking. This increase of asylum seekers has had an impact on the number of human trafficking victims receiving support. Another issue Germany has faced in the realm of human trafficking is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation. The internet has played a great role in the recruitment process as well as a platform to advertise prostitution. The NGOs (KOK) who help to support sexual trafficking victims in Germany have reported a significant increase in victims who have been recruited through the internet. In regard to human trafficking for labor exploitation, the main aspects of it includes the building and construction industry, the hospitality trade, farming and the domestic services sector. In 2016, Germany enacted the Act to Improve Action Against Human Trafficking. This act helps to promote education and awareness of human trafficking. It has brought awareness surrounding human trafficking to an all time high. However, it is understood that more than awareness needs to happen in order to prevent and decrease the amount of human trafficking.
All of these issues; however have many solutions. The first of which is to identify the most vulnerable communities to human trafficking. In the past, when the UN has identified vulnerable communities, they have enacted emergency information campaigns. This can be an effective, immediate solution for countries. However, more permanent and long-term solutions need to be considered. Seeing as technology and the internet has been a large source of recruitment for human trafficking, Germany calls upon governments to establish national-level taskforces on trafficking online that will have information and capabilities to address trafficking online. These capabilities would include the technology in order to monitor human trafficking situations. Furthermore, Technology companies can coordinate to create an industry code of conduct to combat trafficking online. Additionally, frequently visited sites can make the terms of service that prohibit human trafficking prominently visible on their sites. This will empower conscientious consumers to police the sites they visit daily.
The cases of human trafficking that occur within more developed countries tend to be through online recruitment, therefore, this solution would be for more developed countries. For countries in dire need of immediate relief can use the proven successful method of the UN information campaign. The information will be put in schools, local relief centers, and town halls. Furthermore, utilizing countries who have lower human trafficking rates, we can implement their preventative systems and trainings within needy governments. This cooperation can also strengthen partnerships and coordination within the international community which can help with the persecution of human traffickers.
Works Cited
“ADDRESSING RACISM CONFERENCE, NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS CALL FOR URGENT ACTION BY MEMBER STATES TO COMBAT DISCRIMINATION.” United Nations, United Nations, www.un.org/WCAR/pressreleases/rd-d41.htm.
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“Racism: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.” Racism | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, www.unesco.org/new/en/social-and-human-sciences/themes/international-migration/glossary/racism/.
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“Technology & Human Trafficking.” Technology Human Trafficking, technologyandtrafficking.usc.edu/report/future-action-for-trafficking-online/.
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“Xenophobia: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.” Xenophobia | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, www.unesco.org/new/en/social-and-human-sciences/themes/international-migration/glossary/xenophobia/.
“Xenophobia: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.” Xenophobia | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, www.unesco.org/new/en/social-and-human-sciences/themes/international-migration/glossary/xenophobia/.
It is estimated that worldwide, over 40.3 million people are victims of human trafficking. This is not a regional issue, but rather one that the United Nations needs to handle together, as directly and vigilantly as we can. Like all countries, Israel has had some issues with Human Trafficking in its history. This was addressed first in 2000 with amendments in 2004, then in law prohibiting human trafficking in 2006. It has been reported that human trafficking among women has been on a decline since the passing of this law. In addition to laws, Israel constructed a border between itself and Egypt in 2013 in order to prevent irregular border crossings. Israel has been ranked in Tier-1 in the US State Department’s monitoring of countries’ human trafficking protocol.
As a first step, all nations should ratify the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children. This is an excellent stepping stone to pushing for individual countries to begin formulating their own laws against human trafficking. Israel implores that the national community makes sure that people that traffic others get jail time and punishment. There cannot only be improvements in the punishment of human trafficking however, there need to be considerable prevention and protection. All countries should offer systems where victims can obtain visas for criminal hearings and rehabilitation. There should be considerable efforts to stop women at risk of trafficking (i.e. prostitutes) before they are allowed entry into the country.
Human trafficking is world-wide plague. Trafficking is the placing someone in situation of exploitation, including, slavery, forced marriage, prostitution and removal of organs. There are currently an estimated 20-40 million victims of human trafficking across the entire world. This number is such a wide range because of a very small number of human trafficking victims being identified, mainly because many countries soft or nonexistent laws do not do enough investigation. A high percentage of trafficking victims are taken out of developing countries in Asia and Africa (such as South Sudan), and taken into richer developed nations such as many countries in Europe and the Americas. Aid needs to be given to nations in which people are being taken out of, and stricter laws need to be passed in popular destination countries to better recognize and stop trafficking.
Some nations don’t have laws against trafficking because of lack of information, lack of aid, or because big corporations that help their economy are benefitting from the exploitation. Traffickers worldwide earn about $150 billion a year off exploitation of their victims, and an estimated $99 billion comes from sexual exploitation specifically. There are many measures that have been taken by nations such the United States to punish companies, specifically hotels that benefit from sex trafficking.
The best way to combat trafficking is to have strict laws and investigations into human trafficking, to limit success of many large, trans-national operations. Many countries become a beacon for human trafficking simply because of their strategic location or their lenient laws against it. Being one of these countries, South Sudan has passed the Combating of Human Trafficking Act, which aligned with the United Nations definition of human trafficking itself. This Act also establishes the National Committee for Combating Human Trafficking (NCCT). South Sudan urges all other nations that don’t have a pre-existing law against human trafficking to create acts and laws to combat this global issue. The money in human trafficking and the low chance of getting caught is the reason that it is still such a pressing issue across the world.
Another way to lower human trafficking victims is to educate people on how to recognize trafficking. If people know when possible trafficking is going on, and how to prevent it, then more crimes would be reported, and in turn, more people would be prosecuted and jailed. Most traffickers are repeat offenders, so preventing them from continuing to commit these crimes will stop many more of them from being committed.
Human trafficking is an enormous problem for poor, rich, developed and developing nations. To combat it, the entire world needs to have a standard for how to stop it. Between educating the common people on how to identify and report trafficking, prosecuting the offenders, and establishing oversight committees to do large investigations; it can be eradicated worldwide.
Human Trafficking occurs in many forms: sexual exploitation, black market adoption, and many others. Despite the People’s Republic of China’s best efforts to combat human trafficking, the United States Department of State has downgraded the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to Tier 3. Tier 3 is the worst tier meaning countries whose governments do not fully comply with the minimum standards of combatting human trafficking and are not making significant efforts to do so. This is entirely untrue. While the People’s Republic of China has not changed its laws or policies except in a positive direction, the United States has decided to use these issues as a bargaining-chip in the ongoing trade conflict. The Chinese Foreign Ministry, Wang Yi, stated that China is “firmly opposed to the irresponsible remarks made by the United States based on its domestic law about others’ efforts against human trafficking.” The PRC is deeply saddened that issues as serious as this would be used as leverage to benefit from manipulated trade with the Chinese.
China is currently making its best efforts towards combatting human trafficking. In 2009 the U.S. Department of State said that the Chinese government had arrested 19 out of 20 of the most wanted human traffickers. China has also promised to work closely and share information with countries in ASEAN to help eliminate human trafficking. Also, in 2009, the PRC ratified the UN Trafficking in Persons Protocol in order to commit to combat human trafficking. In recent years, many criminals have been arrested in China for kidnapping and selling babies for adoption in foreign countries (NYP).
The PRC hopes to continue and increase its fight against human trafficking alongside the UN. The PRC will not accept foreign government intervention into their affairs. The PRC will accept NGOs into China as long as they follow rule of law and register with the Ministry of Civil Affairs. The UN must address this issue but it must not simply adhere to the logocentric nations who simply want to use this issue for national gain.
Committee: Social Humanitarian and Cultural Committee
Topic Area A: Human Trafficking
Country: Bulgaria
School: Fishers High School
Delegate: Luke Ledford
The delegation from Bulgaria believes that the subject of human trafficking is one of the biggest and longest faced humanitarian issues on the European continent, and across the world. For decades, policy across the world, have failed to put a stop to international kidnapping and forced labor of peoples. The delegation from Bulgaria has itself faced a continuous fight against illegal markets for human labor or services and has taken several steps to try and prevent the continuation of this issue. There are no definite numbers as to how many Bulgarian victims of human trafficking there are, however, what is known is that across the continent of Europe, many of those prosecuted for human trafficking, as well as victims of human trafficking, are from or have ties to the nation. In recent years the delegation from Bulgaria has even become known as one of Europe’s “sources” for trafficked persons. This is a title that the state of Bulgaria would like to rid itself of.
While the fight against human trafficking, an ununified uniform industry, is not simple, the delegation from Bulgaria has taken great strides since the formation of the Republic. According to the standards set by the United States’ Trafficking Victims Protection Act as well as its corresponding Trafficking in Persons Report, the delegation from Bulgaria has progressed from a tier three to tier two nation. Having introduced new laws, such as Articles 159a-159d from the nation’s criminal code, to help classify and prosecute those found guilty of human trafficking. The nation has also increased its support of its victims of human trafficking, having facilities to help or care for victims of human trafficking in some of its larger cities, most notably Sofia, the nation’s capital.
The Republic of Bulgaria believes that the United Nations efforts to spread the word internationally about human trafficking, as well as trying to find international standards for ending human trafficking, such as following those set by the U.S.A. Department of State, have been beneficial to the world. Bulgaria would like to see continued support from the U.N. as well as a push for regional committees in different parts of the globe with the purpose of discussing ways to prevent local trafficking. Bulgaria believes that to combat a crisis that spans international borders, nations must not only focus on internal reform but also work together to track down and prosecute individuals violating laws of two or more nations in a given area.
Human trafficking is devastating to the lives of those who are forced to endure it. Unfortunately, Thailand has faced great difficulties with human trafficking and its prevalence in the nation. Specifically, the fishing industry has become ripe with trafficking and abuse. This slavery did not go unnoticed as the United States government and the European Union both issued warning to Thailand saying that these problems in the fishing industry would need to be solved, or there would be consequences and potentially stopping seafood imports to those nations. However, the issue of trafficking is unfortunately not limited to the fishing industry. Out of the 720 identified trafficking victims in 2015, at least 151 of them were sex trafficked. All of this exploitation is possible due to the popularity of working abroad in Thailand. Thai citizens will apply for jobs overseas without properly vetting the country they are going to work for, and then when they actually get there, they end up being kidnapped and trafficked. Thankfully, the Thai government recognizes this problem and is taking steps in solving it.
Thailand strongly opposes the trafficking and abuse of any person and has been taking active steps in preventing it. Police perform raids and shut down operating brothels in order to find and capture traffickers. There has also been a widespread information campaign so that citizens and tourists are informed of the dangers and warning signs of human trafficking in the area. Thailand has also expanded its efforts to local advocacy groups. These groups are now given resources and information on how to address physical and mental health needs of human trafficking victims. To crackdown on the trafficking found in the fishing industry, Thailand now requires each fishing boat to be equipped with a GPS. These efforts have been working as recently the US moved Thailand from a tier 3 nation back to a tier 2 nation due to the decrease in human trafficking the nation has seen since these measures have been implemented. Not only have these efforts worked on the streets, Thailand is also in the process of reforming it’s legal system to protect the rights of trafficking victims. This includes ensuring that those abused abroad have protections and gives asylum to female trafficking victims for example.
Thailand would be open to expanding these efforts at home, as there is still much to improve, and introducing them to other countries. While we do recognize the great importance of reducing human trafficking, we also need to keep budget in mind. So, while searching for solutions Thailand would generally be open to anything that is not only effective but also not overly expensive.
Works Cited
“Here Be Monsters.” The Economist, The Economist Newspaper, 12 May 2015, www.economist.com/international/2015/03/12/here-be-monsters.
“Trafficking in Persons Report June 2016”. U.S. Department of State. June 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
“Trafficking in Persons Report 2019: Tier Placements”. www.state.gov. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-06-28. Retrieved 2017-12-01.
Jitcharoenkul, Prangthong. “Thailand, Laos Agree on Workers Pact.” Https://Www.bangkokpost.com, Bangkok Post Public Company Limited, 7 July 2016, www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1029497/thailand-laos-agree-on-workers-pact.
Roujanavong, Wanchai. “Human Trafficking: A Challenge to Thailand and the World Community” (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on December 11, 2015. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
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Submitted to: Social Humanitarian & Cultural Committee
Topic: Human Trafficking
Country: Republic of Estonia
Delegate: Rebecca Dooley
School: Forest Hills Central High School
The Republic of Estonia does not find itself faced with major concerns regarding human trafficking in any of its forms, but this has not stopped us from taking action against the crime. Laws like the Victim Support Act make it easier for victims of human trafficking to get aid and access services without first having to participate in criminal proceedings. Laws like this offer aid to every victim of human trafficking while still incentivizing cooperation with law enforcement. Every victim is eligible to receive aid for up to sixty days, while those who continue on with criminal proceedings are eligible for those services indefinitely. Additionally, foreign victims are granted temporary residence permits and access to education and housing, making it easier for them to receive the counsel they need. Estonia also encourages the active participation of non-governmental organizations in providing aid by setting up hotlines and providing information on the rights of the victims of human trafficking.
Estonia recognizes that the most effective way to combat crimes related to human trafficking is to offer extensive protections to at-risk groups and to make it easier to prosecute the perpetrators of those crimes. This means investigators and prosecutors specially trained in applying penal codes related to human trafficking and making it easier for victims to testify while remaining anonymous. In regards to forced labor, minimizing the risk of trafficking means increasing protections for non-resident workers, minorities, and people who have jobs in sectors such as agriculture. Regarding sexual slavery and sex trafficking, the solution must mean increased protection for women, children, and most importantly, sex workers. Globally, there must be an increased level of cooperation between nations when it comes to dismantling intricate, international trafficking rings. This cooperation includes a willingness to share evidence and a commitment to protecting all groups of people. Vital to any solution to the problem of human trafficking will be a willingness to analyze the underlying causes of it and a willingness to eliminate them.
Under Article 4 of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, slavery in any form is made illegal. In modern day terms, human trafficking is considered slavery: in which individuals are taken against their will, and are used for sexual exploitation or forced labor. Although every nation recognizes the illegality of human trafficking, it remains to be an international issue, in which humans are often removed from their own nation and sold/traded between black markets in other nations. Oftentimes these trades occur covertly, deep under the security of the dark web, making it difficult for governmental enforcement agencies to shut down and prosecute those who partake. In recent years, Poland has been a nation that has fallen victim to human trafficking, with known rings found and destroyed, that trafficked women from Eastern Europe, Africa, and Asia. In an effort to prevent further trafficking, Poland urges fellow members of the United Nations to work collectively in order to find the best solution to fix the crisis currently at hand.
Poland has enacted many laws that criminalize Human Trafficking. The first of which is article 189a. of the Polish Penal Code. This law makes it a felony to trade or exploit human-beings, and those prosecuted face a 3-15 year prison sentence. Not only does Poland make it a criminal offence to partake in Human Trafficking, but the Ministry of the Interior and Administration creates and enforces policy targeted at preventing Human Trafficking among migrants and Polish citizens.Along with preventative measures, the agency sets up aid for those who have fallen victim to Human Trafficking; including: food, shelter, and psychological assistance. The Polish Government also makes efforts to stop the proliferation of Human Trafficking Internationally; Poland has been apart of the World Congress Against the Commercial Exploitation of Children, Committee on the Rights of the Child, and Stop Violence against Women campaign.
The delegation of Poland realizes that a major reason why some countries are more prone to human trafficking, is due to poverty, and the inability to enforce or regulate ther laws regarding trafficking. In order to best address this issue, this committee should award block grants to nations where human trafficking is prevalent, and government’s can provide financial information proving their inability to ennforce, human trafficking laws. This committee should also put policies in place to help with those who have fallen victim to Human Trafficking. These individuals should be given assistance to overcome any psychological or physical problems that have occurred. Specifically, temporary housing, access to trauma-specialized psychologists, as well as medical professionals.
The delegation of Poland looks forward to working with fellow members of the United Nations, specifically the European Union, fellow Baltic states, and NATO to come up with a solution that best addresses Human Trafficking, and its associated consequences.
Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee(SOCHUM): Human Trafficking
Humankind is no stranger to human trafficking. Defined as illegal, forced transportation of persons with the intent to exploit, this issue has pervaded the global community, dating back to the African slave trade and early forms of prostitution. Today, the issue persists, with 80 percent of the victims being trafficked for sexual exploitation and 20 percent for forced labor. Children, while not being a worldwide target, are often particularly targeted in some regions of Africa and Southeast Asia. So long as the issue of human trafficking exists, egregious human rights abuses will continue to be committed. It is imperative that the question of human trafficking be addressed to ensure the safety of currently vulnerable peoples.
Unfortunately, human trafficking continues to be a difficulty in Algeria. Algeria is primarily a destination and transit nation for human trafficking; it is rarely the nation of origin for victims. Those most at risk are migrants from neighboring countries in Sub-Saharan Africa who become victims in their hunt for work and are forced into prostitution or unskilled labor. Of these at-risk people, women and children are most often the targets. The number of those at risk is well in the thousands.
In recent years, however, the situation regarding human trafficking has greatly improved due to decisions made by the government. In terms of prosecution, the Algerian government has criminalized sex trafficking and issued penalties with fines up to 1 million dinar. As for the protection of victims, the government has consistently identified them in recent years, and they have all received care and protection services. A difficulty remains in distinguishing these victims in the first place, but the ability to report ensures that victims have an out. Along with prosecution and prevention, prevention has also been addressed by the Algerian government, with the September 2016 presidential decree being implemented. An inter-ministerial anti-trafficking committee has been established and major public awareness events have been held. While the situation is far from fully solved, these measures have definitely had a positive effect.
Along with independent efforts, Algeria has coordinated with the UNODC in workshops to help better prosecute cases of trafficking and smuggling of migrants. It covered the identification of victims, procedures, prosecutions of cases, and aspects of international cooperation.
The delegation of Algeria assumes that fellow delegates in SOCHUM will unite to solve this problem that quite literally crosses borders. Seeing as measures taken in Algeria have been effective thus far, the delegation of Algeria would recommend solutions involve similar measures to crack down on prosecution, protection, and prevention. For the delegation of Algeria to support any resolution , it must address all of these domains. While coordinated efforts must be made to solve this issue, any resolution allowing or encouraging uncalled for foreign interference must absolutely be discouraged and condemned. The delegation of Algeria hopes to cooperate with others to put an end to the heinous exploitations that take place in the world of human trafficking.
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.
Human Trafficking is a rampant and harrowing issue. The action of trafficking is the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of people. The means of trafficking can include the threat of or use of force, deception, coercion, abuse of power or position of vulnerability.Andsimply put, it is intended exploitation. Trafficking can range from prostitution, other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, slavery or like practices, servitude, or the removal or exploitation of bodily resources. Trafficking is one of the fastest-growing illicit industries in the world, with most countries deeply affected either through origin, transit, or destination, some countries being a combination of the three. Unfortunately, it is common for most industries to be corrupted by trafficking. It can typically be found in agriculture or horticulture, construction, garments and textiles under sweatshop conditions, catering and restaurants, domestic work, entertainment, and the sex industry. It also affects other mainstream sectors including but not limited to: food processing, healthcare, and contract cleaning, mainly in private but also in public sector employment, such as the provision of healthcare services. The International Labour Organization estimates that there are 40.3 million victims of human trafficking globally, a significant number of people living against their own free will.
In Azerbaijan, although progress has been made in some areas, others give rise to concern. There is a disparity in actual and reported cases due to certain shortcomings of the identification procedure and insufficient attention to internal trafficking. There may be more cases than what is known by officials. Azerbaijan is typically a country of origin but has also been a place of destination, meaning more Azerbaijani citizens or tourists are sourced in the country rather than brought there. There were 248 victims identified between the years 2014 to 2017, 95% (Human Rights First) of which being women trafficked by the means of sexual exploitation and the rest of which being men exploited for labor. However, GRETA (a council in Europe: Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings) and other NGOs engaged in defense against human trafficking have urged Azerbaijan officials to take preventative measures against trafficking.
Azerbaijan recommends amending legislation, training relevant professionals, raising awareness of human trafficking and amending the rules for the identification of victims of trafficking and their referral to assistance. More methods for combatting human trafficking are to prevent trafficking for the purpose of labor exploitation, reintroducing workplace inspections by labor inspectors and strengthening their mandate, regulating and monitoring the functioning of recruitment and temporary work agencies, and reviewing the regulatory system concerning domestic workers.
Human trafficking is the transportation of people from one country or area to another illegally, usually for forced labor or sexual exploitation. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) forced labor makes up most of human trafficking in the world and is also known as involuntary servitude.Worldwide, 12.3 million people were affected by human trafficking, and $44.3 billion were made because of it. It is worst in countries such as Russia, China, and Iran. Sex exploitation mainly affects women and children and is forced participation in sexual acts. UNODC also stated that children make up one third of victims worldwide. The UN attempted to address the global issue of human trafficking in 2000, to help all victims, especially women and children, by adopting the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons. Since then the UN has been keeping track of human trafficking and urges countries to take action. Global Migration Group and the Inter-Agency Coordination Group against Trafficking in Persons are some committees that are dedicated to solve or at least alleviate the human trafficking crisis. However after all these efforts, human trafficking remains a global issue. This problem needs to be addressed, because it is harming and robbing people of their dignity. The Bahamas has remained, in the U.S. Department of State’s 2019 Trafficking in Persons Report, tier one for five years. Tier one means that the government has noticed the problem and has had efforts to resolve the issue. But is still a destination where men, women and children are subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor.
Human trafficking is an issue in The Bahamas, as it says in the human trafficking report in 2018. If a human trafficker is caught penalties can range from 3 years in prison to higher charges for higher crimes such as rape. According to the U.S. Department of State’s 2019 Trafficking in Persons Report, The Bahamas have had “serious and sustained” efforts to combat trafficking. To help the country, The Bahamas’ government “implemented a formal victim-centered protocol to guide front-line responders in identifying trafficking victims and referring them to services”. The Bahamian government worked hard to “develop guidelines for identifying and interviewing labor trafficking victims and for providing medical and mental services” on a more international level. The government believes that it is doing its best for the issue. In The Bahamas, member agencies and ministries were funded and trained to identify and protect the victims of human trafficking. This effort was made to aid the victims. To let foreigners know their national right, The Bahamian government formalized a strategic plan to spread awareness of trafficking.Awareness was raised in the business community, pamphlets about labor trafficking and workers rights were distributed by The Department of Labor of The Bahamian government.
To address this international problem, The Bahamas recommends that an increase in efforts to identify the victims of human trafficking, and the traffickers would be a helpful first step. The next step taken should be the appropriate prosecution, or punishment for these traffickers. The victims should be protected and assisted. The Bahamas have been working hard to keep its tier one ranking, and believe that all nations should act upon this international problem, within their own countries. The UN should have more movements that help countries everywhere control this issue if it is prevalent in the country. The Bahamas will do what can be done in their nation to help protect the victims, and prevent as much labor and sex trafficking as possible. We hope that this committee is able to advise as many countries as possible to become tier one.
Worldwide, human trafficking is a prevalent issue that is defined as the “recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of persons by improper means”. Approximately, there are 40.3 million human trafficking victims worldwide according to the International Labor Organization. The Global Report on Trafficking in Persons launched by the United Nations reported that the most common form of human trafficking is for sexual exploitation. According to Alana Wheeler, the head of the Counter Trafficking Unit (CTU), 85% of human trafficking cases in Trinidad and Tobago have been related to sex slaves. As one of the wealthiest countries in the Caribbean, the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is a popular spot for tourists and a hub of travel, and is therefore susceptible to being a popular center of activity and source for the transportation of sex slaves and forced labor slaves. Women and girls from the surrounding regions of the Dominican Republic, Columbia, and especially neighboring Venezuela have been known to be forced into sex slavery due to their attempts to flee worsening circumstances in their home lands.
Acknowledging the severity of the human trafficking situation, Trinidad and Tobago have also made advances in combating the evil that is human trafficking. In a report issued in 2016, the National Security Ministry in 2016 stated that Trinidad and Tobago were ranked within the Tier 2 Watch List status, defined by the country’s shortcomings to comply with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, due to its failure to take steps towards improvement. After this report was issued, Trinidad and Tobago extended their efforts to put an end to modern day slavery by means of working harder to identify trafficking victims (specifically women and children), developing human trafficking prosecution procedures and spending up to $198,000 on victim protection programs by the CTU. The CTU also implemented educational advances striving to promote awareness among officials, immigrants, and in educational facilities. In 2017, Trinidad and Tobago were promoted to Tier 2 status: the second highest ranking status in which the country has made significant and impressive improvements in meeting the standards of the TVPA.
The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago urges the United Nations to extend help to the poorer countries in the Caribbean, who have less resources and are more susceptible to involvement in human trafficking rings. We implore the UN to assist these countries by implementing consultation and aid services, and to issue permits to foreign citizens who have been apprehended (similar to successful programs recently instituted in Trinidad and Tobago). The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago also urges the United Nations to implement educational and training programs among government officials in order to combat corruption of officials and misinformation that hinders anti-sex trafficking advances.
Human trafficking is the illegal transfer of humans from one area to another and usually is for forced labor or forced sexual acts. According to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, human trafficking is a heinous crime in which around 30% percent of human trafficking victims are children, and they are forced to subject to forced labour, sexual exploitation, and other forms of abuse. He also states that there is an “everyday indifference to abuse and exploitation around us,” and how a variety of businesses and enterprises, such as construction companies to the food industry to consumer goods, benefit from the misery. He also states how international human trafficking should be the focus. Human trafficking is becoming a common occurence and is increasing in victims, especially female victims. According to the UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime), around 72% of detected victims are women or girls. Additionally, the UNODC reports that the percentage of child victims has more than doubled from 2004 to 2016. The UNODC states that on September 1st, 2010, the General Assembly adopted the United Nations Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons to urge governments of all nations to take consistent actions to put a stop to this heinous crime. Although this was adopted, the contuinal increase in victims signifies how human trafficking remains a serious issue and how the plan of action did not succeed in its goal.
As a country that has noticed the horrors of human trafficking in other countries, and Cambodia’s own borders, the Kingdom of Camobida acknowledges the importance of a solution to international human trafficking. Although Cambodia, in many cases, is the destination or the illegal transit of human trafficking victims, the government is making steps to try to abolish it. According to the UN Refugee Agency’s 2018 Trafficking in Persons Report for Cambodia, the Cambodian government has made a significant amount of increased efforts since the last report; however, the effect is minimal. Cambodia is trying to implement it. The USA, as of June 20th, 2019, is threatening to place economic sanctions on Cambodia unless we find more effetive solutions. This will not help the Kingdom of Cambodia, and any kind of aid would be more beneficial. (Reuters.com) is The Kingdom of Cambodia is spreading awareness of human trafficking (especially of children), create incentives for safe migration to other countries, and increasing prosecututions and convictions of many more human traffickers.
The Kingdom of Cambodia proposes that the Social Humanitarian and Cultural Committee to urge for the continuation of the Persons Reports and harsher punishments for traffickers in countries. As a country that has had many cases of human trafficking, and is taking steps to decrease the rates of human trafficking, we believe the UN should be involved with helping find a way to protect countries from international human trafficking and not punish nations who are trying to find effective solutions to stop human trafficking.
Human trafficking is a complex issue that is running rampant in our world today. It uses a combination of force and fraud to lure victims into a nearly inescapable trap. The International Labor Organization (ILO) estimates that there are 40.3 million human trafficking victims globally, which includes both adults and children from all countries. 81% of these people are trapped in forced labor and the other 19% in sex trafficking. 75% of people being trafficked are women and girls. The criminal economy of human trafficking is dubbed ‘modern slavery’ by the global community, which could not communicate a clearer message to all who are affected. This is an illegal enterprise that makes over $150 million per year and sways the lives of all who are involved. Human trafficking weaves itself into Somalia’s borders and endangers our citizens.
Somalia is currently working to fix its own internal human trafficking issues. Somalia’s constitution criminalizes “labor trafficking and some forms of sex trafficking,” according to the United Nations (UN) refugee agency. Somalia’s official government, the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS), spends most of our restricted resources protecting buildings from terrorist attacks in the capital city, leaving limited influence over anything else. Because of our confined reach of power, our sphere of influence barely surpasses the capital city. The rest of the country is split between terrorist-controlled areas and self-declared states. UN officials documented over 2,100 children being used to fight in the Somalian military as well as in the al-Shabaab’s armed forces in early 2017. Because of those statistics, we implemented a screening plan of action to end the use of children in the military, which did find children in the armed forces and returned them home. In November of 2017, one of the self-declared states in Somalia worked with us to produce more a more updated method of how to fight trafficking. Despite Somalia’s struggling political situation, we are taking strides to prevent trafficking.
Somalia believes that implementing stronger laws and policies against Human Trafficking is the safest and most effective way to solve this issue. In 2016, for example, we issued a special task-force of people that began to research the best ways to identify and prevent human trafficking. We would support further efforts in finding those solutions. The UN is raising awareness by providing extensive resources on how to detect, prevent, and protect the public against trafficking. These include detailed reports that shine a light on the real statistics of this issue. In 2000, the UN General Assembly ratified a protocol document that outlined the measures that should be taken against Human Trafficking. Somalia was not able to partake in the creation or ratification of this document because of our unstable government structure and no set constitution at the time, though we agree with the point that it makes. Furthermore, Somalia would like to request assistance from other countries to help enforce our own laws against trafficking. Human Trafficking has no place in Somalia, nor anywhere else, and must be stopped immediately.
Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Issues (SOCHUM)
Human Trafficking
Portuguese Republic
Claire Parish
Forest Hills Eastern High School
Human trafficking is fundamentally opposed to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as well as other UN principles, which makes it an especially important topic for this committee. Record-high numbers of human trafficking cases have been reported in recent years. However, a record number of convictions shows that these crimes do not go unpunished. The UN has recognized this issue for decades by adopting the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children and forming committees dedicated to stopping this serious problem. The Human Trafficking Knowledge Portal and Global Reports on Trafficking in Persons have also provided valuable information to help states tackle these crimes.
The EU, of which Portugal is a part, has worked both with the UN and alone to address human trafficking, which is prohibited by the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and defined by the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union as a particularly serious form of organized crime. The Global Action to Prevent and Address Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants is one joint effort between the EU and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime to fight the problem. In addition, the EU has put in place a comprehensive, gender-specific, victim-centered legal and policy framework (the Directive 2011/36/EU) as well as an EU Strategy on the matter. An EU Anti-Trafficking Coordinator helps coordinate efforts by member states. Individually, Portugal has also worked diligently to cut down on this problem. Four Shelters Protections Centres, five Specialized Multidisciplinary Teams, and five Networks for Assistance and Protection to Trafficking victims provide support to victims of trafficking across the country while working with national and local government and non-governmental partners. We have adopted multiple action plans to prevent and combat trafficking in human beings, in recent years putting special focus on education and awareness. In 2008, we created the Observatory on Trafficking in Human Beings to collect and analyze trafficking data and improve our policies on addressing the crime.
As recorded on the EU Together Against Trafficking Portugal Report, we have found it fruitful to work closely with Brazil, a country of origin for many of our trafficking victims, and our work with the EU has helped us prevent more regional trafficking. Consequently, Portugal believes that the best way the UN can improve its work on this problem is by fostering ties between countries of destination and countries of origin. Countries of origin and countries of destination could share resources, information, and practices, and efficiently cut down on trafficking from both sides. This could be facilitated through already existent UN reports on trafficking cases and already existent UN committees, such as the Inter-Agency Coordination Group against Trafficking in Persons. Eventually, it might be possible to save most victims before they ever leave their country of origin, without thrusting them into an unfamiliar place immediately after a terrifying situation.
The definition of human trafficking according to the United Nations is the “recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of persons by improper means”. The International Labor Organization estimates there are approximately 40.3 million human trafficking victims worldwide. They estimate there are hundreds of thousands in the United States. From 2014-2017, 642 human trafficking victims were identified in Turkey by the Human Trafficking Protection Office. The United States’ Department of State classified Turkey as a Tier 2 country for human trafficking in their June, 2019, “Trafficking in Persons Report”. This means that Turkey is making significant efforts to further improve this position.
Human trafficking is a serious problem in Turkey. Turkey is both a destintion and transit state for human trafficking. Turkey’s efforts have included giving traffickers sentences that better align with international standards, but their main efforts are focused on helping victims. To combat human trafficking, Turkey created “The National Task Force on Fight against Human Trafficking” in 2002. The task force is a combination of NGO’s and government institutions, and has created policies to prevent human trafficking, identify and protect victims, and to prosecute traffickers. Turkey has been amending its Penal Code to better align with international standards. Both labor and sex trafficking have been made illegal in Turkey under article 80, and a penalty of up to ten years in prison is prescribed in article 227. Resources Turkey has created to provide help for victims include the “Department for the Protection of Victims of Human Trafficking”, which was created to implement projects aimed to help in the fight against human trafficking. Turkey has set up helplines that can be operated and outsourced for victims through the department, and has also worked with the International Organization for Migration to put together the 157 hotline (YIMER). Shelters have been built for victims in the large cities where trafficking is most common: Istanbul, Ankara, and Kırıkkale. Our country is increasing efforts by partnering with international organizations, including the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Because of its geographical location next to nations ripe with war and poverty, Turkey has had an influx of very vulnerable refugees. People who have lived in abuse, homelessness, poverty, or other vulnerabilities are in greater danger of being trafficked. Because the refugees lack financial resources and have socio cultural problems, they are put at a greater risk of being trafficked. In 2013, Turkey legally defined trafficking and created a special type of residence permit that trafficking victims are eligible for with the passage of “Law on Foreigners and International Protection”. To combat the issue of human trafficking, Turkey is creating laws to legally define it, establishing consequences of offenders, and providing resources for victims.
Turkey believes that it is imperative that more resources be created for victims of human trafficking. In our country we have seen women put in vulnerable positions and coerced into bad situations. Our main goal is to provide aid and restore their hope. We also believe resources are needed for victims once they have escaped their bad situations, and we believe that other countries should follow our example in creating shelters and providing life-changing opportunities and support for victims.
Human trafficking, a serious issue across the globe, as of 2016, took 40.3 million victims, according to the International Labor Organization (ILO). Of these, 24.9 million victims were in forced labor, while 15.4 million were in forced marriages. Perceived by the United Nations as modern-day slavery, human trafficking affects adults (75% of victims) as well as children (25% of victims), many being exploited sexually, or for labor, and even state-imposed labor. Twenty-three percent of the global population of human trafficking victims are in Africa. In Africa, not one country fully complies with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act’s (TVPA), criteria for combating the issue.Many governments have taken measures to eliminate this in their nations, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s own.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has a tier 2 watch list rating on its efforts to comply with TVPA, meaning that its government may not fully meet the minimum standards, but is making efforts to meet them. The addition of “watch list” to the nation’s title, means that its number of victims is significant and growing, and that there is little to no evidence of the government’s efforts to meet TVPA standards. In 2017, 804 cases of sexual violence were confirmed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; 507 of these victims were women, 265 were girls, 30 were men, and 2 were boys. Of these 804 cases, only 3 were resolved within the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s courts. A common form of trafficking in the nation is child labor in Rwandan-held mines. A report revealed in 2010 that 40% of the 742 workers in said mines were slaves. Though the Congolese government assisted in demobilizing child soldiers, minimal efforts were made to protect other types of trafficking victims, instead, protection is commonly provided by NGOs.
Seeing as the Congolese government struggles to take concrete action against the issue of human trafficking, the Democratic Republic of the Congo calls upon the United Nations and members of the SOCHUM committee to assist its government and the governments of countless other nations plagued by this crime. Funding should be provided to rescue and protect victims, to prosecute and punish traffickers, and to establish laws to prevent forced labor, forced marriages, and sexual exploitation.
Human trafficking has become an incredibly admissable global issue with the proliferation of the use of the internet to run black market . Parents, children, and migrants are kidnapped and sold into forced labor systems or to be used sexually. This form of modern slavery is horrendous and often results in the deaths of those kidnapped. The United Nations needs to take immediate and extreme action to prevent these cases of human trafficking, and organize a better method to keep track of high risk areas with people who are often kidnapped but seldom reported. These high risk areas include western Asia and northern Africa. International campaigns working to eliminate the threats of human trafficking profiles have seen success in the past, but are underfunded and need to be expanded.
Fiji has had few problems surrounding human trafficking from Fiji natives in the past. Occasionally, Chinese traffickers will travel to Fiji and steal women and girls for prostitution. There is also a problem with coerced sexual exploitation. Often young girls who cannot afford to go to school are sold into sexual slavery or involuntary servitude. In the past year, Fiji has taken significant action to reduce the threat of human trafficking. By passing the Crimes Decree, the Fijian government has enacted laws that raise the penalty for human trafficking and lay out a specific definition of what is considered human trafficking. There has also been a significant rise in the experience law enforcers have in terms of recognizing and taking action against human trafficking crimes.
The delegation of Fiji is greatly in support of other nations taking actions similar to the ones taken within Fiji. Fiji also recognizes that island nations have less of a threat in terms of human trafficking because they participate in less direct contact with people of other nations. Defense task forces need to be implemented, and stricter borders must be regulated within land borders of high risk countries. The delegation of Fiji understands that this could potentially be seen as a breach of national sovereignty, but would like to explain how it is not. Human trafficking is often not local. Children are often kidnapped and smuggled to other countries, and this becomes a global issue, not just within the dictation of an individual nation. In terms of internal issues, Fiji suggests that sovereign nations increase the size of local law enforcement and could potentially set up a system that allows for easy report of potentially trafficking regimes. This allows the public to be more aware of the threat of human trafficking, as well as enabling local law enforcement to bust trafficking schemes.
Human trafficking is an issue that faces many countries, including Romania. Worldwide approximately 40.3 million people are forced into human trafficking, there are no definitive factors that link all victims, all people are at risk for human trafficking however, homeless and runaway youth, Forgien nationals who are smuggled into countries, and individuals coming from violent and traumatic pasts are more at risk for human trafficking.
Romania is currently part of the European union which has established many programs and plans to assist the victims and halt the actions of people who have participated in the trafficking of people. One such program is Frontex which is an EU run border and coastguard agency that acts to safeguard these areas of freedom, security and justice, helping to guarantee an area of free movement without internal borders checks that many of us already take for granted. As of September 21st 2019 a document was signed by OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger and Frontex Executive Director Fabrice Leggeri. This document covers different areas of mutual interest, including promoting and enhancing good practices in border management, ensuring fundamental rights protection of people at the borders, and continuing to develop capacities to address emerging forms of cross-border crime. This is proof that a solution to human trafficking is in our grasp.
Romania is very willing to help out other nations facing this issue by, establishing border and coast guard agencies similar to Frontex, assisting with the funding needed to establish these agencies, share knowledge about known traffickers, providing resources to find victims and perpetrators such as fingerprints, and other collected data.
In conclusion human trafficking is an important issue that has a variety of solutions that need to be put in place to help those who are currently being effected by trafficking and those who have been effected in the past. Romania believes that in order to stop human trafficking action must be taken, this is an issue that cannot be ignored.
Social, Cultural, and Humanitarian(SOCHUM): Human Trafficking
Human Trafficking is defined as the action or practice of illegally transporting people from one country or area to another. It is a problem that affects migrants, women, children, and those who are vulnerable. Human trafficking is used for mostly two reasons. Roughly 80% of trafficking is used for sexual exploitation, and roughly 20% is used for forced labor. As stated previously, these traffickers usually target women and children for trafficking, and mainly migrants for forced labor. The problem affects families and is a global security threat. Human Trafficking issues have spread to all around the world, especially in countries like Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Iran, and North Korea. These are the countries that are said to have the highest human trafficking rates. Most of the countries that have problems with it are impoverished, but large countries have problems with it as well.
The Dominican Republic has had a very difficult time with Human Trafficking in the past. From having people from Haiti brought within our borders, to impoverished people shipping their children to America, without knowing they will really enter the Human Trade. The issue has led to the criticization of the Dominican Republic on their relaxed trafficker laws. We only have penalization and fees for traffickers and do nothing for the prevention of the illegal trade.
We are currently working to successfully implement the laws. We are taking heavy criticism from other countries in the United Nations and say we will fix the problem. The truth is, the problem is growing and the committee needs to fix and diminish it.
The Dominican Republic believes that there should be a heavy penalization for traffickers and offer extensive help for those affected by trafficking. There should be a program that ensures the security of the victims and investigations into the roots of trafficking to detect any type of trafficking organization so we can put a stop to it.
The problem is growing in multiple countries and could be classified as a global crisis. Innocent people are being forced into labor or sexual exploitation. If we find a resolution that benefits the people, ends the crisis, and make a better life for the people of this world.
In today’s world we still hear about human trafficking, and while many countries have their own national policies. It’s time for a change on a global scale. It is estimated that over 40 million humans are enslaved as of 2019, and around 32 million humans are being sexually exploited, and furthermore an estimate 8 million humans are used in forced labor around the world. An estimated 26% of all trafficking victims are under the age of 18. If all human trafficking victims were part of one country, that would be the 36th largest country in the world. It’s time for change and for the UN to step in.
France has fought human trafficking extensively with documentation such as Article 225 of the penal code. France was also one of the leading European countries in the cyber campagin against human trafficking. They also have in place anti-pimping laws as paying with sexual intentions is banned in France. In addition, France worked alongside a private company cooperation with the main goal of stopping child-trafficking, in which France donated $2.74 million towards the initiative.
France would like to spread its ideas nationally and establish harsher sentences and punishments towards human traffickers if caught, and furthermore France believes an information campaign of international travel companies inform their employees on not only the signs of human trafficking but also how to assure the safety of the victims of human trafficking. With this plan France believes the world can bring down human trafficking rates substantially.
SUBMITTED TO: Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee
FROM: Russian Federation
SUBJECT: Human Trafficking
The issue of human trafficking is one of the most widespread and diverse conflicts facing our world today. The Russian Federation believes that on such a serious and sensitive humanitarian problem as this, responsible and depoliticized work is of the utmost importance. It is equally important to abandon all attempts to manipulate the agendas of other countries for the sake of unachievable opportunistic goals. Russia believes all countries in this committee have the right to define their own optimal mechanisms to combat human trafficking, and these mechanisms must be respected in order for SOCHUM to reach a valid conclusion on how to combat the issue of human trafficking.
Of course, Russia is a staunch opponent of any form of modern day slavery, including those relating to the coerced labor or sexual exploitation that is so often characteristic of human trafficking. Article 127 of the Russian Criminal Code prohibits both trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor. Other criminal statutes are also used to prosecute and convict traffickers within our nation. Additionally, According to the UNODC’s report on Global Trafficking in Persons, countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia record higher conviction rates compared to Western European countries, and above all the other regions of the world, when traffickers are tried in court for their crimes.
However, the issue of human trafficking has become too highly politicized for the needs of those being manipulated by this practice to be consistently put above petty interventionists. The Russian Federation sees the only way to fully combat the issues posed by human trafficking as the implementation of impartial investigations conducted by states themselves. This commitment will allow the international community to examine information on how to combat the practices of human trafficking that are not riddled with western bias, while still confronting the prevalence of human trafficking among countries in both the developing and developed world. The work of so called “independent” investigative organizations in examining the global impacts of human trafficking, especially in Eastern Europe and former Soviet territories, leaves much to be desired. As so many past instances, the methodology for collecting and analyzing material is ambiguous – with Russian Foreign Ministry Commissioner for Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law, Konstantin Dolgov emphasizing how “information obtained from dubious sources is fragmented under pre-formulated conclusions.”
Past investigations into international patterns of human trafficking have used the unacceptable ideological approach that divides nations into rating groups depending on political sympathies or antipathies. Other “democratizing tools” that states have attempted to use against Russia in connection with alleged deterioration of human rights situations are uncorroborated and biased against non-western states. There have been consistent attempts to deduce the effectiveness of the humanitarian and human rights aspects of reports released on human trafficking into slogans, labels, and ideological blame games.
With that said, the Russian Federation asks this committee how we can combat human trafficking without using a template of development for our collective policy that has worked well for some states, but will not prove productive for others. Russia will look for a resolution which confronts the diverse root causes of this issue, as well. There must me a comprehensive approach to combat such root causes as poverty, unemployment and legalized prostitution. Furthermore, balanced attention must be paid to both countries of origin and destination. This committee cannot confront only the countries exporting traffickers or bringing in trafficked persons. The Russian Federation also expects a resolution which encourages all countries within this committee to reflect back upon their own actions which have contributed to the trafficking of persons becoming a global economic industry. Manipulation on behalf of western powers to provide the facade of opportunistic goals will not be what solves this issue and helps lift all trafficked persons out of their circumstances. It is only with thorough investigations and improvements to the rule of law, including crackdowns on illegal border crossings and prosecution of those involved in trafficking, that will help to alleviate this global crisis.
The Russian Federation looks forward to working alongside the international community to preserve the sovereignty of all states and combat the issue of human trafficking with swift and independent investigative action. In order to conduct true reports on the prevalence of human trafficking around the world, we must not let investigations progress which do not distinguish between the desire to halt the activities of known traffickers and the political provocation that has but one goal: to destroy sovereignty and statehood while consistently working to usurp power. The Russian delegation plans to consistently pursue the course of helping its foreign partners understand the importance of depoliticizing human rights protection; it is unacceptable to use it as an excuse for interfering in the domestic affairs of sovereign states, and it is necessary to build a constructive and mutually respectful dialogue on topical issues like human trafficking with regard to protecting and promoting human rights.
SUBMITTED TO: Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee
FROM: Republic of Rwanda
SUBJECT: Human Trafficking
Human trafficking is a significant issue faced by the continent of Africa. According to the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, traffickers primarily target vulnerable people rather than those with favorable physical attributes, such as economic migrants and forcibly displaced persons. With armed conflict occurring is 12 African countries, more than 25 million people have been displaced, making human trafficking an easier task. In Rwanda alone, according to Rwanda Investigation Bureau Secretary General Col. Jeannot Ruhunga, “‘for the last five years, over 189 cases of Human Trafficking and people smuggling involving 378 victims were recorded,’” (180 Rwandans Trafficked In 5 Years – KT Press)
With armed conflict being an issue that causes more human trafficking, is there a way to inadvertently tackle the problem of human trafficking through finding solutions relating to the armed conflicts in Africa? This doesn’t mean ending these conflicts, as that is not the place of the Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee. Nevertheless, keeping the causes of human trafficking in mind when finding preventions will be important in making an effective resolution. What other unconventional causes to human trafficking can be utilized in the mission of prevention?
Rwanda has begun to address this issue more than ever before. On September 24, 2018, Rwanda passed its first ever law criminalizing human trafficking, in which focuses on, “‘prevention, suppression and punishment of trafficking in persons and exploitation of others’” (IOM Commends Rwanda for its First-ever Law Criminalizing Trafficking in Persons – Medium). With progress being made, there is hope that there will be an end to human trafficking, and that victims will be reassured and criminals served justice.
A resolution that focuses on the causes of human trafficking as well as the effects will be essential. Human trafficking will be so much more than merely the act. To defeat human trafficking, we as a committee must acknowledge recovery of victims, bringing criminals to justice, addressing the sources, and many more factors and effects. Our resolution must treat human trafficking as the complex issue that it is, not just instigate legislation that outlaw the act. By recognizing that problem does not have one set solution, we can ensure that the committee will move forward to end human trafficking.
SUBMITTED TO: Social, Cultural, and Humanitarian Committee
FROM: The Socialist Republic of Vietnam
TOPIC: Human Trafficking
Human trafficking is a huge problem that not only is a prevalent issue within Vietnam, but all over the world. Currently, over 24 million people are in some form of involuntary servitude, or slavery, due to human trafficking, and if that isn’t alarming enough, in 2017 less than 15,000 human traffickers were prosecuted, and even less of them ended up getting convicted. Even now, there are still so many cases of human trafficking rings being discovered and even more undiscovered human trafficking groups.
Recently, a truck was discovered in the United Kingdom with 39 people being carried in it, and unfortunately all 39 died while undertaking the journey. With regards to this case, a portion of the 39 found inside of the truck are believed to be Vietnamese nationals, which brings this case, and the eradication of human trafficking, to the forefront of our government. It is situations like these where we must eliminate these issues and find ways to not only eradicate the problem of human trafficking, but to also implement preventional methods to keep more human trafficking rings from forming.
Vietnam has been making huge steps towards creating preventative measures and passing anti-trafficking laws in order to eventually eliminate the problem of human trafficking. Starting in 2007, we stepped up our prosecution of the criminals and even began to strengthen cross-border cooperation with Cambodia, China, and Thailand in order to rescue and aid victims of trafficking. Additionally, the Vietnam Women’s Union (VWU) has been educating our border patrol officers and training them to seek out, identify, and assist victims of trafficking as well as opening the National Center for Women and Development to provide victims with shelter, counseling, and financial and vocational support in order to help them get back on their feet. Even though the problem of trafficking still exists, with solutions like these and more on the horizon, there is hope for the end of human trafficking.
Globally, human trafficking is recognized as a modern form of slavery, with an estimated 27 million victims of human trafficking globally. 20% of all human trafficking victims are children, and the victims in some regions of Africa and Mekong children are the majority of victims, up to 100%. Most exploitation is recorded to take place close to the victim’s homes, with domestic trafficking making up the majority of human trafficking. Member states have been implementing the protocol of The United Nations Protocol Against Trafficking, which went into action around 2003., but some countries are unable to implement this protocol due to a lack of political strength, or legal tools.
The Republic of Korea is doing what it can to address and solve this issue. The majority of human trafficking in South Korea is based on sexual exploitation, in which most victims are children, or persons under the age of 18. Between 0.5 and 1.2 million girls work in the sex trade, according to the Korean Feminist Association. In addition to this, around 95% of commercial sex trade is arranged over the internet. This is driven by poverty, uneven development, official corruption, gender discrimination, and multitude of other reasons. Most child trafficking in South Korea is domestic, however most young females trafficked into South Korea come from countries within the Asian region.
The Republic of Korea ratified the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons Especially Women and Children on November 5, 2015. In the 2019 Trafficking in Persons Report: Republic of Korea, the Republic of Korea is a Tier 1 country, meeting its minimum requirements. This means the government demonstrates serious and sustained efforts and funding and operating facilities to assist trafficking victims. The Palermo Protocol is a treaty designed to promote and facilitate cooperation in combatting human trafficking. Using the Palermo Protocol in a resolution could be one solution. Another solution is to use international human rights laws as a framework for other legislation.
Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee, Human Trafficking
Section 1: History, Legislation, and Actions The issue of human trafficking is of great concern to Madagascar. We have a major problem with human trafficking, One which we have unfortunatley placed on the backburner as of late. All human trafficking is prohibited by Malagasy law, but punishments are only in place for sex traffickers. Lebanon seems to be a major destination for our people, with thousands of Malagasy women and children being sent to the nation against their will since 2009 (1). Madagascar is seen as a haven for sex trafficking, which does include children. Hundreds of teenagers in the capital of Antananarivo have been coerced into international sex rings, with some numbers even reaching the thousands (2). It is a problem that has gone unfixed for far too long, and our nation sees it fit to take action on a global scale. We do not want to be a case study, we want to be a mark of progress. It may take decades to eradicate the problem of human trafficking, but we are determined to see thorugh to it. Section 2: Possible solutions Human trafficking, as with all criminal enterprises, won’t just disappear due to a piece of paper. Criminals, by nature, are not law abiding. If we simply set up legislation, it will have no impact. That legislation needs weight behind it to make a difference, and we have an idea to add said weight. We believe that Interpol should assist national governments investigate and take down human trafficking rings, prosecuting them as international criminals. The crime of human trafficking rarely stays in the country of origin, as we know all too well with Lebanon. With the UN breathing down their necks, human traffickers will sure get chills down their spine. If that does not work, the international community may need to strengthen the penalties for the crime of human trafficking. If human traffickers are imprisoned for life, perhaps they may reflect on their actions. After all, it is a sense of poetic justice. You forcefully lock others up only to get stolen for life and locked up yourself. Being lax will not solve the issue. Citations: (1): “Human Trafficking in Madagascar.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 22 Sept. 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_trafficking_in_Madagascar. (2): Thompson-Hernandez, Walter. “This Is What Child Sex Trafficking Looks Like in Madagascar.” The Root, The Root, 19 Nov. 2017, https://www.theroot.com/this-is-what-child-sex-trafficking-looks-like-in-madaga-1820430828.
Human trafficking is a major problem throughout the world, with the UN labeling it as modern day slavery. Human trafficking is illegal transportation of people against their will. Some of the purposes are: sexual exploitation, forced labor, domestic servitude, child begging, and removal of their organs. Around 20% of the total victims are children, but in some regions of Africa and the Mekong Region of Southeast Asia, children make up the majority. While children are a major target, so are women, minorities, and migrants, because they are given few rights.
Sweden has already dealt with 2 of the main purposes for human trafficking, sexual exploitation and forced labor are now prohibited within Sweden, but Sweden has made strong law enforcement efforts to fight sex trafficking, but limited efforts towards forced labor. The punishment for doing so is 2 to 10 years of prison. Because of the lack of effort towards forced labor trafficking it has deemed that there has been increasing reports of labor trafficking as well as forced begging and forced criminality. In 2015, Sweden registered 162,000 asylum applicants, and around half of them were under 18. Asylum applicants are people who flee their home country, enters another country and applies for the right to international protection, in this other country. One major thing Sweden has been doing to fight against sex trafficking is make it illegal to buy sex, but not to sell. The logic behind this movement is that the vivtims that are involved in prostitution have been sexually abused when they grew up; they come from troubled backgrounds, drug abuse problems and all that. Another action Sweden took was educating police officers, prosecutors and judges about this new way to handle prostitution. In fact, not one violent crime against a prostitute has been reported since the law took effect.
As for the future of human trafficking in Sweden, Sweden will continue it’s efforts against human trafficking such as keeping it illegal to “buy sex”, along with keeping the punishments for doing so. Another thing Sweden has gone is that their government continued to fund NGOs in Sweden and abroad to provide victim rehabilitation, health care, vocational training, and legal assistance. Swedish authorities encourage victims to participate in trafficking investigations and prosecutions, identified foreign victims are granted a minimum 30-day temporary residency permit that provides victims with access to health care and social services.
Human trafficking is a large and devastating issue that the world faces today. It is defined by the UN as “illegal transportation of people against their will for the purpose of exploitation.”The terror that this issue represents is one that has lasted for a long time and still continues today. The two main desires for human trafficking are sexual exploitation and child labor. Essentially, this is a form of slavery, that mainly affects women, children, and migrants. The issue has been addressed in the past, with many groups and committees working to abolish it. Despite this, human trafficking continues to grow and be a issue all over the world, especially due to the rising numbers of migrants.
Currently, Kuwait does not specifically outlaw human trafficking, but does have laws written in it’s criminal code that do not permit acts such as transnational slavery and forced prostitution. These laws together are crucial to a government that does not stand for human trafficking. Despite this, there is a lack of government enforcement in the Kuwaiti government that leads to little success in decreasing the rate of human trafficking. On top of little government enforcement, there is little punishment for committing either of these crimes, sometimes only requiring a fine, specifically for the forced prostitution of adults. With such a lacking system, Kuwait struggles to see any current progress in this area, but has no opposition to working towards a safer future for its citizens.
To solve this issue, a great amount of government enforcement, and cooperation is required. Education is key to help the economy understand the effects of human trafficking and how they can help prevent it. Countries everywhere, including Kuwait, have no excuse to not have laws specifically against human trafficking. This is a global battle that requires global cooperation. Right now, there are already many organizations working on fighting human trafficking. By giving these organizations our support, we can make a big difference. An example of one of these organizations is 3Strands Global, which uses education, and creates jobs for those at risk of human trafficking. Creating jobs is another important way we can protect people from human trafficking. By being proactive with these ideas, Kuwait and many other countries are sure to lower the severity of human trafficking around the world.
Country: Afghanistan Committee: SOCHUM Topic: Human Trafficking Delegate: Gabriel Goudreau School: Williamston High School
One of the most persistent threats facing the world in the 21st century is the rise of human trafficking as a major form of criminal exploitation. Not only is this issue found worldwide, but it is also a growing problem in the Middle East, especially as it combines with the impact of conflict and the rising refugee streams trying to reach Europe. Across the globe, approximately 40 million people are roped in human trafficking. Human trafficking includes forced labor, forced sex trafficking, and forced organ donation. The industry is a lucrative one, reaching at least $150 billion in profits yearly according to the International Labour Office. Although there are uncertainty and debate about exact numbers, it is believed that within the realm of human trafficking the most common form is forced sexual trafficking, though forced labor is a major component as well. The majority of victims of human trafficking are women and young girls, and approximately 25% of victims are children. Around 600,000 victims of human trafficking are present in the Middle East and represent around 45 nationalities. Around 51% of the victims are from the Middle East itself. While the Middle East experiences less human trafficking than other regions, it is still a relevant factor in the stability and security of the region. Additionally, trafficking patterns differ within the region itself.
Although Afghanistan made some efforts to eliminate the worst forms of human trafficking, government officials are complicit in the use of forced commercial sexual exploitation of boys through the practice of bacha bazi. The government opened a juvenile rehabilitation center for children previously engaged in armed conflict and provided services to 34 children. It also opened child protection units in 27 provinces, which helped prevent the recruitment of 364 children into the Afghan National Police. The Child Protection Action Network provided educational and social services to at-risk internally displaced families and removed 50 children from mines where they engaged in child labor and enrolled them in schools. However, despite new initiatives to address child labor, the government was also complicit in the use of forced child labor. Our government lacked the political will to enforce laws prohibiting bacha bazi and, despite receiving more than 63 cases of bacha bazi among Afghan military and police, did not initiate any prosecutions or achieve any convictions for bacha bazi. Children in Afghanistan also engage in other worst forms of child labor, including in armed conflict and forced labor in the production of bricks and carpets. Afghanistan’s Labor Inspectorate is not authorized to impose penalties for child labor violations, and the government lacks sufficient programs to eliminate the worst forms of child labor and human trafficking.
Afghanistan wishes to eliminate human trafficking in the country and across the world, however, the Afghani government is split on removing the practice of bacha bazi, being one of Afghanistan’s darkest secrets members of the government wish to keep it quiet and not take any action on this dark practice, along with paid child labor which speeds our economy. The Afghani military and investigative departments will begin to battle those involved in human trafficking, imposing severe penalties for those convicted of these heinous crimes, the great nation of Afghanistan will take measures to move past our history of trafficking and build a better, safer nation.
Country: Morocco Committee: SOCHUM Topic: Human Trafficking Delegate: Noah Palmatier School: Williamston High School
Human trafficking is increasing around the globe. The increased accessibility has been one factor that has led to this global growth. By definition, human trafficking is the illegal transportation of people against their will, for the purpose of exploitation. According to the “Global Report on Trafficking in Persons,” which was released by the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC), found that roughly 80% of human trafficking is for the purpose of sexual exploitation, while almost 20% is for forced labor. In recent years, these dynamics have changed to reflect a greater emphasis on forced labor rather than sexual exploitation. Worldwide, some 20% of trafficking victims were children. However, in some regions of Africa and the Mekong Region of Southeast Asia, children make up the majority (up to approximately 100%) of victims. Historically, the most vulnerable populations are those afforded the fewest rights – such as women, children, minorities, and migrants. Human trafficking is viewed by the United Nations as a form of modern day slavery. This is a big problem that needs to be taken care of swiftly by this committee and the United Nations as a whole. The Moroccan government demonstrated increasing efforts by investigating and prosecuting more trafficking cases and convicting more traffickers compared to the previous year – all under the 2016 anti-trafficking law. It also established an inter-ministerial anti-trafficking committee to coordinate anti-trafficking policies and programs across ministries and created a specialized unit to combat trafficking among Moroccans overseas and migrants in the country. The 2016 Moroccan law criminalized child trafficking as an aggravated offense, with prescribed penalties of 20 to 30 years’ imprisonment and a fine of between $21,386 and $213,857. Several pre-existing laws are also being used during the reporting period criminalized some forms of sex and labor trafficking.
The Kingdom of Morocco would like to make a suggestion to this great committee. This suggestion includes the expansion of investigation on the dark web in an attempt to stop human trafficking through the internet. Another suggestion could be instituting group requirements for children walking through their cities especially in SW Asia where child trafficking is most prevalent.
Country: Morocco Committee: SOCHUM Topic: Combating Xenophobia and Racism Delegate: Noah Palmatier School: Williamston High School
Xenophobia and racism are two problems that are being faced by a large number of nations in this committee. These issues have some relation but have rather different meanings. Xenophobia is defined as a prejudice against all that is foreign, while racism is prejudice based on a perception of racial inferiority, drawing from a hierarchical system. Historically, xenophobia and racism have played a role in creating systematic forms of discrimination throughout the world, often resulting in violence, and even from time to time culminating in genocide.
The Kingdom of Morocco has recently ratified the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD). In doing so, The Kingdom of Morocco has committed itself to respect and ensure racial equality, and the right of all persons to be free from racial discrimination. Commendably, Morocco has also ratified several other international human rights treaties that prohibit racial and other forms of discrimination. These instruments create legally binding obligations for Morocco with regard to the principles of equality and non-discrimination. They also advance a substantive vision of equality—one that requires Morocco to eliminate intentional or purposeful racial discrimination, as well as to combat de facto or unintentional racial discrimination. Prohibited racial discrimination can occur even where there is no racial animus or prejudice in operation. A large amount of this xenophobia and racism is cast upon those who have migrated as refugees from sub-Saharan Africa. It is of utmost importance that the The Kingdom of Morocco along with other nations in this committee find an effective solution for this problem.
The delegation for The Kingdom of Morocco would like to make a suggestion as to how this could potentially be solved. A first step we could take would be the ratification of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), Which is a global initiative to end racism across the board. This is currently ratified by 179 countries, and signed but not ratified by another four. This along with potential sanctions to countries who do not follow set guidelines and increased funding to educate the ignorant in order to reduce racism is places where people are suffering because they “look different.”
Country: Brazil Committee: SOCUM Topic: Human Trafficking Delegate: Alexa Banning School: Williamston High School
Globally, human trafficking is a collassal issue facing our society. This issue continues to worsen overtime and calls for a solution. Human trafficking affects 20% of children worldwide. The groups with few rights in each region are known to suffer the most. This maens that typically, women, children, minorities, and migrants as the individuals who undergo human trafficking. All around 40.3 million people are trafficked every year. According to the United Nations, trafficking is a modern day form of slavery. Many organizations have been created for the purpose of solving or alleviating the issue, but the issue continues to worsen. As migrants continued increase in numbers, so does the amount of trafficking occurring. With access international travel becoming easier, it has also caused it to be easier for trafficking to occur.
Brazil drastically indures human trafficking year round, Brazil has even became known as a hotspot. Each year, there’s a direct correlation between poverty, regional inequality and the existenceof trafficking routes for sexual purposes in all Brazilian regions. In many countries abroad, Brazilians are forced into trafficking. Though laws have been put in place a huge effect has not been seen.
Brazil suffers greatly from trafficking so steps have been taken. Brazil’s constitution consists of many laws that protect human rights. Many federal laws can be used to combat human trafficking, including the Penal Code, the Alien’s Statute, and the Child and Adolescent Statute. The Penal code defines and punishes with imprisonment and fines many acts that may be associated with human trafficking. The Alien´s Statute defines the legal situation of aliens in Brazil and the punishments towards ceratian acts that may be associated with human trafficking. Lastly, the Child and Adolescent Statute lists several crimes that may be associated with human trafficking and their respective punishments. Many differn t ares with this sttute can be benficail towards ending human trafficking. Article 82 for example prohibits the lodging of children or adolescents in hotels, motels, hostels, or similar places without authorization or the company of a parent or guardian. Another article that is helpful is Article 83 which states that a child may not travel outside the district where the child resides when not accompanied by a parent or guardian. They must first have judicial authorization, there are only exceptions for certain situations. A six year in prison punishment is also put into place for those promoting or helping sending a child or adolescent abroad illegally or for a profit.
Implementation of laws similar to Brazils may be seen as beneficial for other nations as well. Brazil at the moment does not have a permanent solution and is open to others’ inputs. A national policy to Combat Human Trafficking has been in Brazil. It purposes principles, guidelines, and actions to prevent and suppress trafficking in persons and provide assistance to victims. Each of these points are in line with domestic and international human rights norms and Brazilian law. A similar implementation in other nations could be seen as helpful. Brazil is interested in working with those in their G4 alliance with Germany, India, and Japan. The Portguese speaking nations are also those who we will look for. Brazil has suffered greatly for endless years, it is time to put the suffrage to an end.
Country: Denmark Committee: Social, Humanitarian & Cultural Committee (SOCHUM) Topic: Human Trafficking Delegate: Courtney Parkhouse School: Williamston High School
According to the United Nations, human trafficking is “the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of persons by improper means for an improper purpose”. The global issue of human trafficking often results from other issues such as poverty, gender discrimination, and civil disorder. Many people across the world struggle with and are often victims of human trafficking. It has been estimated by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) that children account for nearly 20 percent of all victims of human trafficking, while are larger percentage of human trafficking victims are women. There are many purposes of human trafficking, but the most common purpose are sexual exploitation and forced labor. It has been reported by UNODC in their “Global Report on Trafficking in Persons” that 80 percent of human trafficking is for the purpose of sexual exploitation, while 20 percent is for forced labor. In Denmark, there is limited knowledge concerning the amount of human trafficking victims present in the country. However, non-governmental organizations and police have estimated that there are more victims of human trafficking in the country than what was estimated. Even though the Danish government is unaware of the amount of human trafficking victims present in the country, it is known that the majority of human trafficking victims being transported into Denmark are from Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and other Eastern European countries, as well as Thailand and Nigeria. The issue of human trafficking has contributed to the development of many other issues such as
In the last several years, Denmark has passed and supported various legislative with the purpose of preventing human trafficking. The government of Denmark has ratified the UN’s Palermo Protocol which aimed at preventing, suppressing, and punishing human trafficking, as well as the Council of Europe’s Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking, which implemented a national action plan to which Denmark allocated the funding of 97.7 million kroner (15.7 million USD) to in order to support anti-trafficking measures. The Danish government has also passed and maintained law enforcement efforts such as Section 262 A of Denmark’s Criminal Code to punish those found guilty of human trafficking with a maximum of ten years imprisonment. In addition to passing and supporting legislation to prevent human trafficking, Denmark has also offered support and assistance such as accomodation, medical treatment, psychological assistance, and legal and social counseling to those who have been the victim of trafficking.
Recently, the Danish government has ratified a more recent version of the Council of Europe’s Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings to which the government of Denmark has also allotted the funding of 63 million kroner (10.1 million USD) to in order to combat the issue of human trafficking. Denmark plans to continue to support the Council of Europe’s efforts to end human trafficking. The government of Denmark also plans to pass and implement more legislation concerning the issue of human trafficking as well as providing support and assistance to those who were victims.
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