UN Trafficking Report Cites Consumer Nations
The United States, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Japan are among the 10 nations rated “very high” as destination countries by the United Nations Office On Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in their report, Trafficking in Persons: Global Patterns.
No country on the planet escapes the scourge of human trafficking, says the 128-page document released on April 24 in Vienna. It also notes 127 nations as countries of origin for trafficked persons and 98 countries as transit nations.
To eradicate human trafficking, “demolish” the demand, says a new report “Another way of saying countries of destination is ‘consumers’, and we must address this demand,” said Sharon Payt, director of advocacy for MEERO and a human rights lawyer and expert on human trafficking.
“This is the down side of globalisation,” she said. “There are highly organised trans-border criminal organisations but trans-border law enforcement is not equally competent. It is the responsibility of destination countries to increase their law enforcement and prosecution capacity.”
The report cites “relatively few” prosecutions and less convictions in destination countries. It notes 59 persons prosecuted in the US in 2004, with 43 convictions; 117 prosecutions in the Netherlands, with 106 convictions; and 48 prosecutions in Japan, with no details on convictions.
The report offers an example of how the wealthy take demand with them as they travel and work internationally, as in Kabul, Afghanistan, where the demand for sexual services by foreigners has been filled by well-organised criminal organisations.
“Ironically, the presence of international peacekeeping forces and development organisations is renowned for promoting rackets of forced prostitution and trafficking,” said Payt.
The phenomenon made headlines in September 2005, when a Pakistani policeman working as a United Nations police officer in Kosovo was arrested for trafficking. Amnesty International cites the role of western policemen, troops and civilians in the Kosovo sex trade in a 2004 report. (See The Guardian).
There are highly organised trans-border criminal organisations but trans-border law enforcement is not equally competent. It is the responsibility of destination countries to increase their law enforcement and prosecution capacity Sharon Burton, area director for World Vision Kosovo, said: “Afterwards we understand there were a couple of high ranking officials released from their jobs but it\'s all back under the carpet now and in the realm of rumors.
Sexual exploitation accounts for 88 per cent of documented trafficking cases, these predominantly involve women and girls, the report said. But report authors believe trafficking for labour exploitation is under reported due to forced labour not being seen as a crime but an issue for negotiations and unions in many countries and because the media finds sexual exploitation a more “appealing topic.”
The report says that while statistics are incomplete it appears criminal gangs are mostly comprised of the citizens of the destination countries. Two types of gangs were noted: The first is strong, hierarchical organisations based on social or ethnic ties also involved in arms and drugs smuggling. The second is small, core groups focused on human trafficking and seen as extremely violent.
No country on the planet escapes the scourge of human trafficking, says the 128-page document released on April 24 in Vienna. It also notes 127 nations as countries of origin for trafficked persons and 98 countries as transit nations.
To eradicate human trafficking, “demolish” the demand, says a new report “Another way of saying countries of destination is ‘consumers’, and we must address this demand,” said Sharon Payt, director of advocacy for MEERO and a human rights lawyer and expert on human trafficking.
“This is the down side of globalisation,” she said. “There are highly organised trans-border criminal organisations but trans-border law enforcement is not equally competent. It is the responsibility of destination countries to increase their law enforcement and prosecution capacity.”
The report cites “relatively few” prosecutions and less convictions in destination countries. It notes 59 persons prosecuted in the US in 2004, with 43 convictions; 117 prosecutions in the Netherlands, with 106 convictions; and 48 prosecutions in Japan, with no details on convictions.
The report offers an example of how the wealthy take demand with them as they travel and work internationally, as in Kabul, Afghanistan, where the demand for sexual services by foreigners has been filled by well-organised criminal organisations.
“Ironically, the presence of international peacekeeping forces and development organisations is renowned for promoting rackets of forced prostitution and trafficking,” said Payt.
The phenomenon made headlines in September 2005, when a Pakistani policeman working as a United Nations police officer in Kosovo was arrested for trafficking. Amnesty International cites the role of western policemen, troops and civilians in the Kosovo sex trade in a 2004 report. (See The Guardian).
There are highly organised trans-border criminal organisations but trans-border law enforcement is not equally competent. It is the responsibility of destination countries to increase their law enforcement and prosecution capacity Sharon Burton, area director for World Vision Kosovo, said: “Afterwards we understand there were a couple of high ranking officials released from their jobs but it\'s all back under the carpet now and in the realm of rumors.
Sexual exploitation accounts for 88 per cent of documented trafficking cases, these predominantly involve women and girls, the report said. But report authors believe trafficking for labour exploitation is under reported due to forced labour not being seen as a crime but an issue for negotiations and unions in many countries and because the media finds sexual exploitation a more “appealing topic.”
The report says that while statistics are incomplete it appears criminal gangs are mostly comprised of the citizens of the destination countries. Two types of gangs were noted: The first is strong, hierarchical organisations based on social or ethnic ties also involved in arms and drugs smuggling. The second is small, core groups focused on human trafficking and seen as extremely violent.
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