Council of
Europe Campaign Overview
The Campaign: Human Being –
Not For Sale
The Council of Europe Campaign to Combat Trafficking in Human
Beings was launched in 2006 under the slogan Human being –
not for sale. The Campaign aims to raise awareness, among
governments, parliamentarians, local and regional authorities, NGOs
and civil society, of the extent of the problem of trafficking in
human beings in Europe today. It highlights the different measures
which can be taken to prevent this new form of slavery, as well as
measures to protect the human rights of victims and to prosecute the
traffickers.
The campaign should promote the widest possible signature and
ratification of the Council
of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human
Beings in order that this
efficient instrument for combating trafficking in human beings may
enter into force rapidly. The Campaign will end in 2008 when the
Convention is expected to enter into force.
At the core of the Campaign is a series of regional information
and awareness raising seminars organised by the Equality Division of
the Directorate General of Human Rights in cooperation with the
Council of Europe member states. In 2006, five seminars are
organised in the context of the Campaign: Bucharest
on 4-5 April, Riga
on 21-22 September, Rome
on 19-20 October, Oslo
on 1-2 November and Athens
on 5-6 December. Six more seminars will be organised
in 2007: Nicosia
15-16 February, Berlin
19-20 April, Yerevan 5 and 6 September.
Among the other activities organised by the Equality Division of
the Directorate General for Human Rights in the framework of the
Campaign are a Regional
Seminar on Guidelines in South Caucasus for a co-ordinated action against trafficking in
human beings in Tbilisi on 22-23 February 2006, a Seminar
on non-legislative measures in Montenegro for
preventing trafficking in human beings and strengthening the
protection of victims in Igola on 26-28 April 2006 and a Seminar
on the Promotion of the signature and ratification by the Russian
Federation of the Council of
Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings in
Moscow on 15-16 November 2006.
In the framework of the UPIC project (International co-operation
in criminal matters in Ukraine), the Directorate General of Legal
Affairs is carrying out a review of the Ukrainian legislation in
view of the requirements of the Council of Europe Convention on
Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, followed by a workshop
aimed at providing support in the drafting of related necessary
amendments and the drafting of the law for the ratification of the
Convention.
The Migration and Roma Department of the Directorate General for
Social Cohesion organises training seminars aimed at creating a pool
of Roma women mediators in Albania, Moldova and Slovakia who will
closely work in the settlements with the Roma community,
particularly the parents, in awareness-raising on trafficking in
children and young women. The seminars will also provide families
with information on the existing channels and networks of assistance
for the trafficking victims and their families, reintegration and
tracing the identity of the victims of trafficking.
The Equality Division of the Directorate General of Human Rights
will organise, at the end of 2007, a major conference on the Council
of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings
and in particular its monitoring mechanism, with a view to preparing
its entry into force.
On 31 May 2006, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities
adopted Resolution 210 (2006) 1 on the Council of Europe Campaign to
Combat Trafficking in Human Beings, in which it asked local
authorities and associations of local authorities to sign a Declaration
on the fight against trafficking in human beings.
At its meeting on 11 April 2006, the Committee on Equal
Opportunities of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
decided to set up a new Sub-Committee on Trafficking in Human Beings
with a view to participating in the Council of Europe Campaign to
Combat Trafficking in Human Beings. The Sub-Committee strongly
supports the aim of the Campaign to promote the widest possible
signature and ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on
Action against Trafficking in Human Beings in order that it may
enter into force at the earliest opportunity and intends to play an
active part in promoting such signatures and ratifications.
The Commissioner for Human Rights regularly addresses trafficking
in human beings in his reports. The Commissioner supports the
Council of Europe Campaign to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings by
promoting the widest possible signing and ratification of the
Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human
Beings.
In order to inform civil society about trafficking in human
beings and the Campaign, a comic strip for young people who could be
potential victims of trafficking in human beings has been prepared
and is being distributed together with other information and
publicity material (booklets, posters, calendars, bookmarks).
Furthermore, the Council of Europe Convention on Action against
Trafficking in Human Beings is translated into a number of languages
of the Council of Europe member states.
Background
Since the late 1980s, the Council of Europe has been active in
the fight against trafficking in human beings. The Organisation has,
among its member states countries of origin, transit and destination
of the victims of trafficking. All these countries are directly
concerned by the scourge of trafficking.
Trafficking in human beings constitutes a violation of human
rights and an offence to the dignity and the integrity of the human
being. The Council of Europe, whose principal vocation is to
safeguard and promote human rights, became the “natural home” for
activities aiming to combat a phenomenon that constitutes a
violation of people’s dignity and integrity, their freedom of
movement, as well as, in some cases, their right to life.
As far as the individual is concerned, trafficking undermines the
principle of the equal dignity of all human beings. At society
level, it constitutes a modern form of slavery and calls in question
the rule of law and fundamental democratic values.
Based on the fundamental principles of pluralist democracy,
respect of human rights and the rule of law, the Council of Europe
has organised activities aimed at combating trafficking in human
beings.
Actions undertaken by the Council of Europe
As far back as 1991, a Seminar on Action Against Trafficking in
Women, considered as a violation of human rights and human dignity,
was organised by the Council of Europe.
Then, through the Group of Experts on traffic in women (1992-93),
which reported to the Steering Committee for Equality between Women
and Men (CDEG), the Council of Europe identified the most urgent
areas for action which were included in a Plan of action against
trafficking in women. The Plan proposed areas for reflection and
investigation in view of making recommendations to the member states
on legislative, judicial and punishment aspects of trafficking; on
assisting, supporting and rehabilitating its victims and on
prevention programmes.
Trafficking aroused the collective concern of Council of Europe
Heads of State and Government at the Strasbourg Summit (October
1997): the final declaration states that violence against women and
all forms of sexual exploitation of women constitute a threat to
citizens' security and democracy.
Numerous activities have been organised since the Summit. The
first type of activity was concerned both with raising awareness and
action. The Council of Europe organised seminars to heighten the
awareness of governments and civil society to this new form of
slavery in order to alert the different players (police, judges,
social workers, embassy staff, teachers etc) to their role vis-à-vis
trafficking victims and the dangers facing certain individuals.
In addition, member states were encouraged to draw up national
action plans against trafficking. To that end, the Council of Europe
prepared the above-mentioned model plan of action against
trafficking in women in 1996 and since then has encouraged the
preparation of both national and regional action plans, in
particular in South-East Europe and the South Caucasus.
Studies and research have also been carried out to apprehend the
problem of trafficking from its many different angles. In particular
the CDEG prepared a report on the Impact of the use of new
information technologies on trafficking in human beings for the
purpose of sexual exploitation.
In addition, targeted seminars and meetings of experts have taken
place in many member states, providing them with both the necessary
technical assistance for drawing up or revising legislation in this
area and assisting them to adopt the necessary measures for
combating this scourge. In particular, the LARA Project to support
the reform of criminal legislation in South-East Europe as a means
of preventing and combating trafficking in human beings (July 2002 -
November 2003). This Council of Europe Project, implemented within
the framework of the Stability Pact Task Force on Trafficking in
Human Beings, enabled the participating countries to adapt and
review their national legislation in this field. As a result of this
Project, nearly all the participating countries adopted national
action plans against trafficking in human beings, covering
prevention, prosecution of traffickers and protection of the
victims.
During the 3rd Summit of the Council of Europe (Warsaw, May 2005)
the Heads of State and Government of the member States firmly
condemned trafficking in human beings which undermine the enjoyment
of human rights and which is an offence to the dignity and integrity
of the human being.
Legal texts
The awareness-raising activities led to setting up a legal
framework for combating trafficking in human beings. The Committee
of Ministers adopted two legal texts dealing specifically with
trafficking in human beings for sexual exploitation, most of whose
victims are women and children:
These put forward a pan-European strategy taking in definitions,
general measures, a methodological and action framework, prevention,
victim assistance and protection, criminal measures, judicial
cooperation and arrangements for international cooperation and
coordination.
Furthermore, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
has adopted the following texts:
Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in
Human Beings
The Council of Europe considered that it was necessary to draft a
legally binding instrument which goes beyond recommendations or
specific actions. On 3rd May 2005, the Committee of Ministers
adopted the Council
of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human
Beings. The Convention was opened for signature in
Warsaw on 16 May 2005, on the occasion of the 3rd Summit of Heads of
State and Government of the Council of Europe who underlined that
this new Convention is a major step forward in the fight against
trafficking.
On the occasion of the 6th European Ministerial Conference on
Equality between Women Men (Stockholm, 8-9 June 2006), the Ministers
adopted a Resolution in which, inter alia, member states were
encouraged to sign and ratify the Council of Europe Convention on
Action against Trafficking in Human Beings and to participate
actively in the Council of Europe Campaign in this field.
This new Convention, the first European treaty in this field, is
a comprehensive treaty focussing mainly on the protection of victims
of trafficking and the safeguard of their rights. It also aims to
prevent trafficking and to prosecute traffickers. In addition, the
Convention provides for the setting up of an effective and
independent monitoring mechanism capable of controlling the
implementation of the obligations contained in the Convention.
The Convention will enter into force when it has been ratified by
10 states, eight of which must be Council of Europe member states.
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