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1. First ratification for Council of Europe trafficking convention
The Council of Europe Convention on Action Against Trafficking
in Human Beings has marked its first anniversary since it
was opened for signature on 16 May 2005. May 2006 saw new signatories including France, Latvia, San Marino and Sweden. And on 19 May, Moldova became the first state to ratify the Convention. To date, the Convention has 30 signatures and one
ratification. Nine more countries need to ratify the Convention
in order for it to enter into force. The UK Government has yet
to sign, please join our
campaign to change this position.
2. Report on the implementation of the 2002 Council
Framework Decision
The European Commission presented to the Council and the European
Parliament a report
on the implementation of the Council Framework Decision of 19
July 2002 on combating trafficking in human beings (available
here as a PDF document, see bottom of page
about reading PDF files) obliging Member States to transpose
their national legislation to comply with the Decision by 1
August 2004. The report evaluates Member
States' compliance with the Decision and suggests the Decision
appears to be largely met by the Member States. It also points
out that the level of penalties for trafficking varies greatly
among the States and that the Commission may examine
the possibility of further harmonisation in that regard.
3. Forced marriages in Ethiopia
According to a BBC
report, 92 per cent of all marriages in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and
People's Region region of Ethiopia result
from young girls being captured and kidnapped. UNICEF suggests
that due to poverty, many parents cannot afford to send their
daughters to school and prefer them to be abducted and married.
Some abducted girls manage to run away and seek
help of their teachers to get a divorce or annul their
marriage. However, local courts sometimes back the marriage
and force the girls to return to their husbands.
4. Fair deal to migrant workers
The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE),
International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the International
Labour Office have published a Handbook
on Establishing Effective Labour Migration Policies in Countries
of Origin and Destination. In an on-line interview, ILO Migration Director Ibrahim Awagdon called for a fair deal for the world's
86 million migrant workers. The handbook will assist the Member
States in their efforts to develop policy solutions and approaches
for better management of labour migration and flows, including
issues around protection of migrant workers both in countries
of destination and origin.
5. Human trafficking social intervention
project
The Human Trafficking Social Intervention Project is a new transnational
European activity that focuses on improving the systems of access
to the labour market for women who have been trafficked. It will
look into new ways of for these women to enter the employment market,
alongside psychological counselling and co-operation with local,
national and community organisations. The project is co-ordinated
by the Italian organisation On the Road and will be implemented
in Italy, France and Slovakia.
6. Events
Challenging
Myths -- Building partnerships (details available here
as a PDF document, see bottom of page about
reading PDF files) a UK conference at Warwick University, on
7 and 8 July. Explores the social and health support needs
of sexual violence/abuse survivors in an increasing climate
of change for abuse service provision.
7. New publications
Overview
and Implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the
Child (available here as a PDF document, see bottom
of page about reading PDF files). A three year study on
the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of
the Child (CRC) was undertaken by the UNICEF Innocenti Research
Centre. The study encompasses 62 countries from all regions, largely based on the reports of States Parties to
the CRC Committee and the Committee's concluding comments on
them.
Unaccompanied
Refugees and Asylum Seekers Turning 18: A guide for social
workers (available here as a PDF document, see bottom
of page about reading PDF files) published by Save the Children
UK.
Trafficking
in Persons Report 2006, annual United States Department of State
report.
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