| 1. Council of Europe Convention receives
third ratification
Austria ratified the Council of Europe Convention on Action
Against Trafficking in Human Beings on 12 October.
So far, three countries have ratified the Convention. Ten ratifications
are necessary for the instrument to enter into force (see list
of ratifications for latest).
2. Israel introduces a new comprehensive
law on trafficking
Israeli legislators passed a new comprehensive anti-trafficking
law on 17 October. The law extends the definition of trafficking
to include all forms of trafficking and introduces strengthened
protection measures for trafficked people. The law establishes
a fund that will partly comprise fines imposed by the
court on the traffickers and traffickers' confiscated profits.
Fifty per cent of the fund will be designated for funding support and assistance for trafficked people, and 50 per cent will be allocated for prevention and prosecution costs.
The law further lays down the right of trafficked persons to
legal redress. In cases where compensation is ordered by the
court but the trafficker fails to pay, trafficked people can
claim the money from the newly established fund. The state will
also provide for trafficked people's legal representation in civil cases.
3. UN investigates worldwide abuses
of migrant workers
In response to increasing complaints from migrant workers
worldwide, the United Nations launched investigations into human rights
violations against migrant workers. Those most common were: abusive working conditions, non-payment of wages, arbitrary
detention and collective illegal deportations. Slavery and forced
labour as well as ill-treatment at border controls are also
included in the list of violations recorded from the complaints.
4. Women migrants at risk of exploitation
according to UNFPA report
The United Nations Population Fund reveals in its annual State
of the World Population report (this is a PDF document,
see bottom of page about viewing them)
that women now make up almost 50 per cent of all migrants. Migrant workers
are at risk of exploitation of trafficking. The report asks
governments worldwide to introduce more measures to protect
the growing number of women from exploitation abroad when trying
to earn living to support their families.
5. OSCE appoints new special representative
on trafficking
Eva Biaduet, a member of the Finnish Parliament and a former
Finnish Minister of Health and Social Services, was appointed
the OSCE Special Representative on Combating
Trafficking in Human Beings on 19 October. Her task is to assist the 56 OSCE
Member States in implementing the OSCE Action Plan to Combat
Trafficking in Human Beings.
6. New Human Trafficking Centre opens in
the UK
On 3 October, the UK Human
Trafficking Centre was opened in Sheffield. The centre was established to bring enforcement, intelligence gathering, training, victim
care and research functions under one roof. The aim of the centre
is to provide specialist advice and guidance to police and partner
agencies, as well as increasing knowledge and understanding
of this issue. Activities will be focusing not only on trafficking
for sexual exploitation, but also on trafficking for forced
labour, child trafficking and internal trafficking.
7. Events
A conference of state parties to the UN Convention on Transnational
Organised Crime and its Protocols was held in October in
Vienna to discuss the implementation of the document. Global Alliance Against Trafficking
in Women, La Strada International and Anti-Slavery
International organised a side
event on protection of trafficked people -- a human rights approach.
Capita is organising a conference and
a briefing on human trafficking in London on 28 and 29 November
(details are available here as a PDF see bottom
of page about viewing them).
Alliance Against Trafficking in Persons is organising a conference
on Trafficking
for Forced and Bonded Labour – Prosecution of Offenders,
Justice for Victims in Vienna 16-17 November.
8. New publications
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has published a Toolkit
to Combat Trafficking in Persons
UNICRI (United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research
Institute) has published a new edition (July 2006) of
the Training Manual on Trafficking in Human Beings
in Peace Support Operations. If you wish to
receive a free copy of the manual, please, write to information@unicri.it
|
