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The fight against Trafficking in Human BeingsKey points· Every year, thousands of women, children and men fall victim to human trafficking, whether for sexual exploitation or other purposes, both within and beyond the borders of their own country. This phenomenon has taken on such unprecedented proportions that it can be described as a new form of slavery.· The Council of Europe has drawn up a powerful legal tool against this crime in the Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, which entered into force on 1 February 2008.· This new convention, the first European treaty in the field, is a comprehensive treaty focusing mainly on protecting the victims of trafficking and safeguarding their rights. It also aims to prevent trafficking and to prosecute traffickers.· In addition, the convention provides for an effective monitoring mechanism. The main body of this mechanism is called GRETA (Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings). It is composed by independent experts and its role is to control the implementation of the measures contained in the convention.SummaryTrafficking in human beings is the modern form of the old worldwide slave trade. It treats human beings as a commodity to be bought and sold. According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) every year, an increasing number of people fall victim to trafficking, mainly for sexual exploitation (43%), but also for forced labour or services (32%). The ILO estimates the numbers at over 2.45 million. Victims are very often trafficked from the poorer countries towards richer countries. Most of the identified victims are women, but men and children are also victims. All are desperate to make a living, only to have their lives ruined by exploitation. They are frequently lured by adverts in their home countries for jobs abroad as fashion models, waiters, household employees, etc. Organised crime is behind much of the trafficking in human beings. But isolated individuals can also be traffickers. Criminals have benefited from the growing ease of travel and communications technology. Given that one of the primary concerns of the Council of Europe is protecting human rights, and that trafficking in human beings directly undermines the values on which the Council of Europe is based, finding solutions to this problem is a top priority for the organisation. It is all the more relevant as the Council of Europe has, among its 47 member states, countries of origin, transit and destination of trafficking victims. The Council of Europe convention is the first international legally-binding instrument which affirms that trafficking in human beings constitutes a violation of human rights. Questions and Answers What is human trafficking? Trafficking in human beings consists of a combination of three basic components, as defined in the convention: · the action of “recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons”; · by means of “the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person”; · for the purpose of exploitation, which includes “at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal or organs”. What is the content of the convention? The main measures provided for by the Convention are the following: • Governments and NGOs will carry out awareness-raising activities for people vulnerable to trafficking and actions aimed at discouraging "consumers" are among the main measures to prevent trafficking in human beings. • Victims of trafficking must be recognised as such in order to avoid the police and public authorities treating them as illegal migrants or prostitutes. • Victims of trafficking must be granted physical and psychological assistance and support for their reintegration into society. Medical treatment, counselling and information as well as appropriate accommodation are all among the measures provided for. Victims are also entitled to receive compensation. • Victims are entitled to a minimum of 30 days to recover and escape from the influence of the traffickers and to take a decision regarding their possible cooperation with the authorities. A renewable residence permit may be granted if their personal situation so requires or if they need to stay in order to cooperate in a criminal investigation. • Trafficking is considered a criminal offence: traffickers and their accomplices will therefore be prosecuted. • The private life and the safety of victims of trafficking will be protected throughout the course of judicial proceedings. How will the monitoring body of the convention work? The Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) will regularly publish reports evaluating measures taken by states to apply the convention. This new Council of Europe monitoring body is composed of independent and highly qualified experts in human rights and the fight against trafficking. In December 2008 the Committee of the Parties of the convention, a political body made up of representatives from states that have ratified the convention, elected the first members of GRETA for a term of office of four years, beginning on 1 January 2009. The GRETA members are Vessela Banova (Bulgarian), Louise Calleja (Maltese), Josie Christodoulou (Cypriot), Davor Derencinovic (Croatian), Vladimir Gilca (Moldovan), Hanne Sophie Greve (Norwegian), Nicolas Le Coz (French), Alexandra Malangone (Slovak), Nell Rasmussen (Danish), Leonor Maria Da Conceição Cruz Rodrigues (Portuguese), Gulnara Shahinian (Armenian), Robert Stratoberdha (Albanian) and Diana-Florentina Tudorache (Romanian). What has the Council of Europe done to persuade governments, parliaments and civil society to act against human trafficking? In 2006 it launched the Council of Europe Campaign to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings under the slogan Human being – not for sale. Its aim was to raise awareness - among governments, parliamentarians, local and regional authorities, NGOs and civil society - of the extent of the problem of trafficking in human beings in Europe today. It highlighted the different measures which can be taken to prevent this new form of slavery, as well as measures to protect the human rights of victims and to prosecute the traffickers. Seminars were carried out to spread the message to key players such as governmental and police officers, parliamentarians and non-governmental organisations. At the same time, the campaign targeted the general public through television and radio spots and specially-targeted material, including a comic strip entitled “You´re not for sale” specially designed for children and young people, distributed to schools and colleges in 16 languages in countries where traffickers recruit. Material was also made available at border points in those countries, helping to raise awareness of the issue both amongst vulnerable prospective victims and the general population. The main aim of the campaign was to get governments to sign and ratify the convention as soon as possible to provide a real defence against traffickers and real hope for victims. The campaign ended with the entry into force of the convention. ContactJaime Rodríguez, Press Officer Tel. +33 (0) 689 99 50 42 Updated: July 2009 |
