| 1. European Commission proposes
an action plan in its communication to the Parliament
The European Union Commission presented
its new communication, Fighting
Trafficking in Human Beings: An integrated approach and proposals
for an action plan at an October conference in Brussels (available here as a PDF file, see
bottom of page about reading PDF files).
The communication aims at further strengthening the commitment
of the EU and Member States to prevent and fight against trafficking
in people. It further stresses the need for a human rights
centred approach in policies of the EU and Member States and calls for a co-ordinated policy response in the areas of freedom,
security, justice, external relations, development co-operation,
employment, gender equality and non-discrimination.
2. Council of Europe Convention receives
further signatures
On 17 November, seven countries signed
the Council of Europe's Convention on Action Against Trafficking
in Human Beings at a signing ceremony for the framework of the 115th meeting
of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers at the Council of Europe's headquarters in Strasbourg. The countries are: Andorra, Belgium, Germany, Greece, Netherlands,
the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Ukraine.
To date, 23
countries have signed . The United Kingdom and French governments have
yet to sign this vital piece of legislation, please take
action and send them emails urging them to sign.
3. Albanian traffickers sentenced in the
UK for a total of 63 years
A gang of five Albanian brothers was sentence for a total 63
years for crimes connected to trafficking Lithuanian
women to the United Kingdom and forcing them into prostitution; one of their victims was under 18.
The men received sentences of five, eight and 14 years; two were sentenced to 18 years in prison.
British officials welcomed the sentences hoping
they would serve as a warning to others.
4. US becomes official party to UN trafficking protocol
On 3 December, the United States became an official party
to the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking
in Persons, Especially Women and Children.
The signing coincided with UN International Day
for the Abolition of Slavery on 2 December.
5. Trafficking for forced labour in Iraq
According to reports in the United States media, young men from poor countries are
being tricked into working in dangerous jobs for a subsidiary
of the largest US contractor in Iraq, Halliburton.
The Chicago Tribune investigated the case of 12 Nepalese men
who were promised jobs at a luxury hotel in Amman, Jordan, but
instead were taken to Iraq using fraudulent documents, where
they were to work for one of the Halliburton subsidiarys.
6. New publications and reports
December 18's A
Guide for NGOs on the Implementation of the UN Migrant Workers' Convention
is available in English and Spanish in print and as a PDF download file, (see bottom
of page about reading PDF files).
Terre des Hommes Nepal's Summary of Findings: A Study of Trafficked Nepalese Girls and Women in Mumbai and Kolkata, India
is now available as a PDF download file (see bottom of page
about reading PDF files).
7. Announcement
IOM's Human Rights Protection of Trafficking Victims Project
in Cambodia is looking for a Training
co-ordinator for a four month consultancy in Cambodia. Please
see attached vacancy notice and feel free to share it with
your contacts. (Available here as a PDF file, see bottom of
page about reading PDF files).
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