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UNODC Report on Human Trafficking Exposes Modern Form of Slavery
A Global
Report on Trafficking in Persons launched today by the United
Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) provides new information on a crime
that shames us all. Based on data gathered from 155
countries, it offers the first global assessment of the scope of human
trafficking and what is being done to fight it. It includes: an overview of
trafficking patterns; legal steps taken in response; and country-specific
information on reported cases of trafficking in persons, victims, and
prosecutions. At the launch of the Report in According to the Report, the most common
form of human trafficking (79%) is sexual exploitation. The victims of sexual
exploitation are predominantly women and girls. Surprisingly, in 30% of the
countries which provided information on the gender of traffickers, women make
up the largest proportion of traffickers. In some parts of the world, women
trafficking women is the norm. The second most common form of human
trafficking is forced labour (18%), although this may be a misrepresentation
because forced labour is less frequently detected and reported than
trafficking for sexual exploitation. Worldwide, almost 20% of all trafficking
victims are children. However, in some parts of Africa and the Mekong region,
children are the majority (up to 100% in parts of Although trafficking seems to imply
people moving across continents, most exploitation takes place close to home.
Data show intra-regional and domestic trafficking are the major forms of
trafficking in persons. The United Nations Protocol against
Trafficking in Persons - the foremost international agreement in this area -
entered into force in 2003. The Report shows that in the past few years the
number of Member States seriously implementing the Protocol has more than
doubled (from 54 to 125 out of the 155 States covered). However, there are
still many countries that lack the necessary legal instruments or political
will. "This Report increases our understanding
of modern slave markets, yet it also exposes our ignorance", said Mr.
Costa. "We have a big picture, but it is impressionistic and lacks
depth. We fear the problem is getting worse, but we can not prove it for lack
of data, and many governments are obstructing", he admitted. The head of
UNODC therefore called on governments and social scientists to improve
information-gathering and -sharing on human trafficking. "If we do
not overcome this knowledge crisis we will be fighting the problem blindfolded",
he warned. In a Panel Discussion on "Exposing
Denial and Benign Neglect", Mr. Costa called on governments, the private
sector, and the public at large to step up the fight against trafficking in
persons. "More must be done to reduce the vulnerability of victims,
increase the risks to traffickers, and lower demand for the goods and
services of modern-day slaves", he said. To increase public awareness of human
trafficking and rally the world to fight it, Mr. Costa appointed Academy
Award-winning actress Mira Sorvino as a Goodwill Ambassador to Combat Human
Trafficking. "We know that Mira's commitment to the plight of
trafficking victims will move people to take action against modern-day
slavery", said the Executive Director of UNODC. |
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Audio Research Expert talks about making the report Interview on trafficking in persons in Asia Percentage of Victims from Other
Regions To request a high-resolution file of this
poster, please fill out |
Report Executive
Summary Country Profiles Central America and the
Caribbeans Eastern Europe and Central Asia |
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