|
1. Turkey ratifies the UN Migrant Convention
On 27 September 2004, Turkey ratified the UN Convention
on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Their
Families, 1990. This Convention now has a total of 27 ratifications
and a treaty body to ensure that ratifying states are complying
with their obligations. The only other European country to ratify
is Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Support for the Migrant Convention was voiced at the European
Social Forum in London
(15-17 October). The Liberal Democrat spokesperson on international
development in the UK, Tom Brake MP, has also tabled a motion
in Parliament supporting the Convention. The motion (EDM 1741)
calls on the UK Government to "provide a robust legal framework
for the establishment of rights for migrant workers by ratifying
the UN Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All
Migrant Workers and their Families (1990)".
2. Special Rapporteur on trafficking appointed
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons,
especially women and children, has been appointed and is Sigma
Huda, President of the Bangladesh National Women Lawyers' Association.
Initially, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who is from Liberia and has
several years experience working with UNDP, was appointed, but
resigned in September shortly after having taken up the post.
Sigma Huda will now hold the post for three years and will report
to the Commission on Human Rights in 2005 on measures needed
to uphold and protect the rights of trafficked people.
3. Report on forced labour in the US
Free the Slaves and the Human Rights Center, University of
California have produced a report called Hidden
Slaves, Forced Labor in the United States (September
2004). Data for the report was primarily obtained from press
reports and interviews with 49 service providers. The report
concludes that at any one time, 10,000 or more people work as
forced labourers in the United States and that over the past
five years forced labour operations have taken place in at least
90 US cities.
4. Anti-trafficking activities in Serbia
A Serbian NGO, ASTRA, has produced a newsletter
(available here as a PDF file, see bottom of page about
reading PDF files) covering the main activities which have
been carried out in Serbia to combat trafficking in human beings
to date. In the future, the newsletter will be released on a
quarterly basis. Those interested in contributing or recieving
future newsletters should contact: astranet@sezampro.yu
5. Web resources on trafficking
The UNICEF Innocenti
Research Centre has a Child Trafficking Research Project website
has reports on child trafficking in West Africa, the Netherlands
and in South Eastern Europe. The site also has a trafficking
research database with a directory of organisations and experts
working on child trafficking. Regular news pieces on child trafficking
are also available from
the site.
Vital Voices has released the September
edition of Trafficking Alert. This issue includes
information on the resolution passed by the United States Senate
on 21 July 2004 to encourage states to co-operate on human trafficking
prosecutions; interviews the Deputy Assistant Attorney General
of the US Deprtment of Justice and the President of the Center
for Women Policy Studies for state and federal anti-trafficking
efforts; and a report on a joint-forum by Congress and the Department
of Defense on peace keeping operations.
6. Conferences
The TUC is organising a conference on Migrant Workers and Trade
Unions from 10:00 - 4:00 on 10 November at Congress House, Great
Russell Street, London, UK. The conference aims to help unions
develop policies on labour migration and discuss and exchange
practical experience of assisting migrant workers. For more
information contact Mairin Power, 020 7467 1357 or email mapower@tuc.org.uk
Go
to the TUC website to register.
The Second Expert Group Meeting on Protecting Victims of
International Trafficking will be held in 11-12 of November
2004 in Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Seoul, Korea. The meeting will be
co-hosted by Ministry of Gender Equality and Ministry of Justice
of Korea, in close co-operation with the International Organization
for Migration (IOM). For further information contact IOM Seoul
office E-mail: seoulops@iom.int
AFRUCA is organising a seminar on Safeguarding African Children
in the UK in Manchester on 1 December 2004, 9:00am - 4:30pm.
This seminar is the first in a series of regional events to
be held across the UK (others will take place in Birmingham
12 January 2005 and Glasgow 17 February 2005). The seminars
will focus on the welfare of African children in the UK and
will examine how the child protection system can be further
enhanced to meet their needs.
Seminar themes include: culture and child protection; private
fostering; female genital mutilation; trafficking of children;
and working with African families. The seminar will cost £80
for statutory organisations and £50 for students, community
organisations/members. You can download a booking
form for the Manchester seminar (available here as a PDF
file, see bottom of page about reading PDF
files), for further information e-mail: info@afruca.org
|
