Topic: 2024-Human Trafficking
Country: China
Delegate Name: Isabel Xiong
Defined by the UN as “…the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion…for the purpose of exploitation,” human trafficking is a violation of the most fundamental human rights, and an issue that plagues every nation on the globe. Women and children are particularly vulnerable, but every person needs protection and aid in recovery. China believes this topic requires not only international action but individual countries taking initiative.
The UN has made many significant strides in the prevention and mitigation of human trafficking. In 2000 the General Assembly ratified the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, defining the crime of human trafficking and the obligations of states, and emphasizing the need for global cooperation. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has been central in these efforts; from improving criminal justice systems and training law enforcement, to working with airlines to identify victims, they have greatly improved the capacity of member nations to handle human trafficking. The OHCHR also creates issue briefs, fact sheets for the general public, and guidelines for a human rights-based approach. And the ICAT, a forum that facilitates cooperation between UN bodies, has allowed for the international exchange of data, and policies, and ensured the effective implementation of standards and practices regarding human trafficking.
China is deeply concerned by the issue of human trafficking. We believe that victims should receive support primarily based on their country of citizenship and country they are transported to, as the responsibility falls on these countries to rectify the crime committed. China has policies in place to prevent trafficking and help victims recover, such as a court interpretation requiring courts to comply with trafficking victims’ requests for compensation from perpetrators, and we have worked extensively with other countries and international organizations: signing police cooperation agreements with Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, for example, and setting up border offices to better facilitate cooperation and regulation. The Ministry of Public Security and the All-China Women’s Federation have also been working with UNICEF for decades, creating shelters to provide medical care, legal aid, counseling and more.
To combat this problem and supplement existing measures, member states should focus their efforts on prevention and recovery. Prevention entails detecting trafficking victims, prosecuting known traffickers, gathering more data, and creating resources for those liable to be trafficked. The OHCHR airline program, which trained airline personnel to identify people being trafficked, can be standardized and used for law enforcement, medical personnel, government officials, and anyone likely to come in contact with traffickers or their victims. If countries implement these trainings, both in government and private organizations, they have a much better chance of rescuing victims and raising general public awareness. Shelters, online resources and confidential support lines can help women and girls who are being coerced or threatened, and systemic changes will decrease openings for such exploitation to occur. Countries should also develop standard protocols for responding to trafficking situations, especially when dealing with international trafficking rings. But standardization can only go so far, and with differing cultures, societal norms and infrastructure, it’s difficult to overstate the role individual nations will play. With support, but without excessive oversight from the UN, member states should as much as possible try to solve this issue on a national scale, in a tailored way, working with border countries when necessary. When different methods, protocols and policies have been tested, the UN can then consider the most effective way to implement them internationally, and protect future generations from the crime of trafficking.
Works Cited
Inter-Agency Coordination Group Against Trafficking in Persons. “2023 Annual Report.” ICAT, 2023, https://icat.un.org/sites/g/files/tmzbdl461/files/publications/icat_annual_report_2023.pdf.
Luo, Yanhua. “Committed to Fighting Human Trafficking.” China Daily, 21 July 2017, https://africa.chinadaily.com.cn/weekly/2017-07/21/content_30198572.htm.
OHCHR. “Human Rights and Human Trafficking.” United Nations, 2014, https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/Documents/Publications/FS36_en.pdf.
United Nations General Assembly. “Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children.” United Nations, 2000, https://www.unodc.org/res/human-trafficking/2021the-protocol-tip_html/TIP.pdf.
