WUNRN
UNODC - UN Office of Drugs &
Crime
UNODC EXPANDS KEY LEGAL DATABASE (BY
COUNTRY) TO HELP IMPROVE HUMAN TRAFFICKING CONVICTIONS
UNODC
Trafficking Case Law Database: http://www.unodc.org/cld/index.jspx
30 April 2014 - UNODC's Human Trafficking Case Law
Database - a key tool to combat this global crime - has reached an important
milestone two and a half years since its launch: it now includes detailed
information on more than 1,000 trafficking cases from 83 countries. Such tools
are crucial in order to increase the visibility of successful human trafficking
prosecutions and convictions, helping law enforcement and justice practitioners
from across the world working on human trafficking cases.
Human trafficking occurs all over the world with
millions of victims being exploited by criminals. Yet, conviction rates of
human trafficking remain low. The 2012 Global Report on
Trafficking in Persons showed that, between 2007 and 2010, of
the 132 countries covered, 16 per cent did not record a single conviction and
23 per cent recorded between 1 and 10 convictions for trafficking offences. By
making available information on successful prosecutions and convictions from
countries all over the world, UNODC aims to increase the capacity of States to
investigate, prosecute and punish this shameful crime.
The Human Trafficking Case Law Database is a publicly
available global case repository which includes summaries and full court
documents of trafficking cases. It serves as an essential resource for criminal
justice practitioners and anti-trafficking professionals to consult the
different approaches taken in countries to fight human trafficking, and to
improve understanding of its trends and patterns.
When launched in October 2011, the database provided
information on 250 cases from 28 jurisdictions. As a result of continued
cooperation with a broad range of actors, including non-governmental
organizations, universities, and commercial law firms, the Human Trafficking
Case Law Database has since grown into a truly global collection of cases, and
can now better than ever serve its purpose of helping practitioners in their
daily work.
The Human Trafficking Case Law Database still
continues to expand, with 50-80 new cases from 10 jurisdictions to be uploaded
online in the coming months. The tool is currently available in English, and
partially available in Spanish and French. Visit the UNODC Human Trafficking
Case Law Database here. For those who wish to contribute new cases,
please contact htmss [at] unodc.org.