UNITED NATIONS OFFICE ON

HUMAN RIGHTS

Improving employment rights to reduce human

trafficking

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 INDEX

Chair introduction ……………………………………………………….………………..…3

Introduction……………. ……………………………………………………………………4

Definition of Key Terms…………………………………………………………………..…6

Background information………………………………………………………………….…7

Key countries and organizations……………………………………………………...….12

Organization ……………………………………………………………………………….13

Timeline……………………………………………………………..………………………15

Relevant UN Treaties, Resolutions and Reports……………..………………………...17

Previous Attempts to Solve the Issue……………………………………………………17

Possible Solutions …………………………….…………………………………………..18

Bibliography…………………………………………………………………………..…….19

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CHAIR INTRODUCTION:

Dear delegates,
I am one of your chairs, Clara Hernández de Lorenzo Jante, who
studies 1st IB at Oak House School. I have participated and
chaired many MUN’s outside and inside of my school. I am very
passionate about hearing your speeches and you will be able to
debate in the Human Rights Council.

Hello delegates,
My name is Clara Sobrino and I will be one of your chairs for the
Human Rights committee. I am a student at Oak House School and
I am taking the first year of the International Baccalaureate.
I have participated in various MUNs, such as SEKMUN, BIMUN
and CICAE. I am looking forward to seeing you all in February and I
know this will be a pleasant and exciting experience for all of us!

Hi Delegates!
My name is Mila Michel and I will be one of your chairs for this
committee. I am a student in Oak House School doing the 2nd year in IB.
I have participated in various MUNs and academic debates, such as
BIMUN and CICAE. I am looking forward to meeting you all in February
and we will do our best to make it as fun as possible!

Hello Delegates!
My name is Sofia Becerra and I will be another one of your chairs in
this committee. I am a student in Oak House School doing 2nd IB. I
have engaged in several MUNs such as the BIMUN or BCNMUN. I
am very excited to meet you all delegates and I am looking forward to
have fun together!

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Introduction

Fast fashion can be defined as cheap, trendy clothing that samples ideas from the
catwalk and puts them into stores in order to satisfy consumer demand. This one
among many other industries keep breaking the law when it comes to labour rights.
Human rights violations which root from these working conditions affect millions of
people in several countries.

Many factory workers that work overtime and in dangerous conditions are paid less
than the legal minimum wage, meaning that they are being exploited. By working in
this safe environment for long hours (more than 100 hours per weeek), they do not
have access to healthcare or other basic human needs. The poor conditions are
responsible for the death of thousands of people in catastrophic events, such as the
collapse of the Rana Plaza Garment factory in Bangladesh. Employees in the
fashion industry usually work with no ventilation, causing them to breath in toxic
substances, inhaling fiber dust or blasted sand in unsafe buildings, it is very common
for workers to be constantly ill and obtain diseases.

Many young women are victims of this industry, which due to their gender, are daily
victims of physical and sexual abuse. These unrealistic production targets cause
women to work overtime, on low conditions and with a low-wage. Sexual harassment
is something that occurs on a dailky basis in these factories: females might
experience getting followed home, offensive texts/emails, sounds or stares among
many other things; this can impact their safety. After being sexually abused, most of
the women are forced to abort in case of pregnancy, fostering a culture of
harassment, violence, and discrimination. Women are left with fear, stress,
deppression but are too scared to speak up as this might only worsen the situation.

This industry is responsible for forced and child labor, where children are taken from
school and neglected their education. Limiting their opportunities for growth and
making the child believe that it is better to start nourishing the family at a young age.
Child labor and modern slavery cases are still being reported, particularly in Asian
developing countries such as Bangladesh, Indonesia, Sri Lanka among others.

Many workers will not resist on these issues as this job nourishes their family and is
probably their only source of income. But even if they wanted to speak up, in most of
these factories, garment workers are not allowed to form unions to defend their rights
collectively. Many laws and regulations created by the government were established
to prevent unions from getting created.

There has been an increased focus on the role of businesses in perpetuating human
trafficking. It challenges the basic values of humanity, which are being violated every
day.

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A big amount of money is spent every year on counter trafficking efforts, with the aim
of rescuing irregular migrants and sex workers who are thought to be potential
victims and trainiings to raise awareness among those who might possibly
experience human trafficking; however, this is not enough.

Fast fahsion industries are being called out due to their ever-cheaper labour and
reduced regulation, which can lead to human trafficking. Drawing upon the
sensationalism of “modern slavery” which stands for these individuals working
overtime, paid below the legal minimum wage and suffering both physical and sexual
abuse. Many individuals are trying to take voluntary initiatives to tackle this issue,
however only business models can make a real difference: paying workers a living
wage, expanding social protection, insurance among others.

Addressing human trafficking more effectively requires a clearer understand of the

underlying issues. It is a systematic problem with root in the violation of labour and
human rights. Grounded in unfair labour, gender, and class relations. However,
anti-trafficking measures have failed to improve the situation and adress the causes
of vulnerability, especially for women and girls, who face daily abuse.

In order to reduce vulnerabilty to human trafficking, a greater focus on protection of

labour rights is essential. This would mean that those who are employed
precariously should be brought to domestic work, entertainment among other
industries and should be under the full protection of labour laws.

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Definition of Key Terms

Fast fashion: inexpensive clothing produced rapidly by mass-market retailers in

response to the latest trends.

Human rights: Human rights are the basic rights and freedoms that belong to every
person in the world, from birth until death.

Human trafficking: involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type
of labor or commercial sex act.

Human rights violation: A human rights violation is the disallowance of the freedom
of thought and movement to which all humans legally have a right. While individuals
can violate these rights, the leadership or government of civilization most often
belittles marginalized persons.

Physical abuse: An act where one person uses their body in order to inflict
intentional harm or injury upon another person.

Sexual abuse: is abusive sexual behavior by one person upon another. It is often
perpetrated using force or by taking advantage of another

Child labor: refers to the exploitation of children through any form of work that
deprives children of their childhood, interferes with their ability to attend regular
school, and is mentally, physically, socially and morally harmful.

Forced labor: It refers to situations in which persons are coerced to work through
the use of violence or intimidation, or by more subtle means such as manipulated
debt, retention of identity papers or threats of denunciation to immigration authorities.
Forced labour can be understood as work that is performed involuntarily and under
the menace of any penalty.

Minimum wage: the lowest wage permitted by law or by a special agreement.

Modern slavery: when an individual is exploited by others, for personal or

commercial gain. Whether tricked, coerced, or forced, they lose their freedom. This
includes but is not limited to human trafficking, forced labour and debt bondage.

Unions: A labor union or trade union is an organized group of workers who unite to
make decisions about conditions affecting their work. Labor unions strive to bring
economic justice to the workplace and social justice to our nation.

Unions work like a democracy. They hold elections for officers who make decisions
on behalf of members, giving workers more power on the job. A local union is a

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locally-based group of workers with a charter from a national or international union
such as the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) or United Auto Workers
(UAW). A local may include workers from the same company or region. It may also
have workers from the same business sector, employed by different companies.

Background Information

The conflict arises when the following questions are posed:

1. What is human trafficking?
2. What are Labour rights?
3. How do we ensure a strong international protection against human trafficking
in a labour force?

Human trafficking, also known as trafficking in persons, is a crime that involves

compelling or coercing a person to provide labor or services, or to engage in
commercial sex acts. The coercion can be subtle or overt, physical or psychological.
Exploitation of a minor for commercial sex is human trafficking, regardless of
whether any form of force, fraud, or coercion was used.
There is no single profile of a trafficking victim. Victims of human trafficking can be
anyone—regardless of race, color, national origin, disability, religion, age, gender,
sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, education level, or
citizenship status. But as is the case in many crimes of exploitation and abuse,
human traffickers often prey upon members of marginalized communities and other
vulnerable individuals, including children in the child welfare system or children in the
child welfare system or children who have been involved in the juvenile justice
system; runaway and homeless youth; unaccompanied children; persons who do not
have lawful immigration status in the United States; Black people and other people of
color; American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, and
other indigenous peoples of North America; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender,
Queer, and Intersex (LGBTQI+) individuals; migrant laborers; persons with
disabilities; and individuals with substance use disorder.

Labor rights or workers' rights are both legal rights and human rights relating to labor
relations between workers and employers. These rights are codified in national and
international labor and employment law. In general, these rights influence working
conditions in relations of employment.

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The UN established a series of laws implemented to establish the right to work and
to have fair conditions of employment.

1. Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111)

Thursday, 4 March 2010
2. Migration for Employment Convention, revised 1949 (No. 97)
Thursday, 4 March 2010
3. Convention concerning Equal Opportunities and Equal Treatment for Men and
Women Workers: Workers with Family Responsibilities (No. 156)
Wednesday, 6 January 2010
4. Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111)
Wednesday, 28 October 2009
5. Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100)
Wednesday, 28 October 2009
6. Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122)
Wednesday, 28 October 2009
7. Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138)
Wednesday, 28 October 2009
8. Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182)
Wednesday, 28 October 2009
9. ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization
Wednesday, 28 October 2009

● 49.6 million people were living in modern slavery in 2021, of which 27.6
million were in forced labour and 22 million in forced marriage.
● Of the 27.6 million people in forced labour, 17.3 million are exploited in the
private sector; 6.3 million in forced commercial sexual exploitation, and 3.9
million in forced labour imposed by state.
● Women and girls account for 4.9 million of those in forced commercial sexual
exploitation, and for 6 million of those in forced labour in other economic
sectors.
● 12% of all those in forced labor are children. More than half of these children
are in commercial sexual exploitation.
● The Asia and the Pacific region has the highest number of people in forced
labor (15.1 million) and the Arab States the highest prevalence (5.3 per
thousand people).
● Addressing decent work deficits in the informal economy, as part of broader
efforts towards economic formalization, is a priority for progress against
forced labor.

● Latest estimates show that forced labor and forced marriage have increased
significantly in the last five years, according to the International Labour
Organization.

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Key countries and organizations

Key Countries:
Top 3 countries with the worst employer rights: (based on the 2020 Global Rights
Index issued by the ITUC):

Bangladesh:

Between 2010 and 2021, more than 1,100 union registration applications were
lodged with the authorities. The Department of Labour rejected 46% of them – an
extraordinarily high rejection rate, denying workers a voice and the right to form and
join a union,” said Sharan Burrow, ITUC general secretary.

As the government of Bangladesh prepares to update the ILO Governing Body on

progress of reform, anti-union discrimination, wage discrimination and unsafe
working conditions continue to be reported in three of the country’s largest
employment sectors – ready-made garments, shipbreaking, and the leather (tannery)
sector.

Since the Rana Plaza tragedy of 2013, the government of Bangladesh has failed to
implement commitments it has made to respect international labor standards and
improve the working and living conditions of workers in Bangladesh. The government
must take this seriously and must fully, completely and in a timely manner implement
the ILO road map and the EU national action plan,” said Sharan Burrow.

Thirty-five thousand Bangladeshis die at work every year, and eight million are
injured. Sexual violence is rife, millions of workplaces are barely monitored by
government labour inspectors, and people are trapped in jobs with poverty wages.

Brazil:
Forced labor practices in Brazil occur in rural and urban areas mainly through debt
bondage schemes. In rural areas workers are immobilized in estates until they can
pay off debts often fraudulently incurred; their identity documents and work permits
are frequently retained; they are often physically threatened and punished by armed
guards and some have been killed while attempting to flee. Debt bondage involves
abusive labor contracting schemes operated by contractors known locally as
“empreiteiros or gatos”, often engaged in other types of seasonal labor contracts.
The typical debt bondage cycle occurs as follows: given the seasonality of rural
demand for labor, the gatos recruit workers from poverty stricken areas marked by
seasonal unemployment or drought. They are ferried in trucks or buses to
destination sites hundreds or thousands of kilometers away from their origin. Even
before they start working they will have incurred debts in initial transport and food

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payment at prices beyond their control. Once working they will then incur additional
debts in tools, housing and other services often through abusive charges.
In urban areas, the majority of the victims of forced labor are illegal immigrants
(mostly from Bolivia) who have their identity documents retained by sweatshop
owners in São Paulo. It is reported that employers engaged in such practices are
foreigners themselves (and mostly from the Republic of Korea).
Slavery is illegal but hard to combat because it is largely concentrated in remote
areas with precarious access roads and communications. Other constraints include
limited labor inspection as well as legal and institutional loopholes, which often
impede or minimize punishment.

Colombia:
The report, presented at the World Congress of the ITUC, held this week Berlin
ranks Colombia as a category 5 country, which is described as, “worst countries in
the world to work in.”
“While the legislation may spell out certain rights, workers have effectively no access
to these rights and are therefore exposed to autocratic regimes and unfair labor
practices.” The report continues.
The report of the ITUC states that, “the guarantee of the free exercise of workers’
rights is also a guarantee of a more equal and a more prosperous society. When
workers enjoy the freedom of a collective voice, can bargain for safe workplaces and
fair wages and conditions and are free from discrimination then productivity and
economic growth can flourish.”
However, the report states that, “abuses of rights are getting worse not better and
too many countries take no responsibility for protecting workers rights in a national
context or through corporate supply chains.”
The only other country in Latin America to be similarly categorized is Guatemala
which itself is the most dangerous country in the world to be a trade unionist
according to the ITUC.
Among the other 23 countries around the world to be ranked as category 5 appear
Zimbabwe, Cambodia and Saudi Arabia.
Only category 5+ which includes countries where the rule of law has collapsed is
worse than category 5.
In an interview with the Central Unit of Colombian Workers (CUT), a spokesperson
said that Colombian workers suffer from oppression on two fronts; from the
government and from the effects of the ongoing armed conflict.

Countries with the highest levels of Human trafficking:

1. Belarus
Belarusian trafficking victims mostly remain in Belarus or Russia. Criminals smuggle
other victims to Poland, Turkey and various countries in Eurasia and the Middle East.
Belarusian women seeking foreign employment in the adult entertainment and hotel
industries often fall prey to sex traffickers.

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A 2006 Belarusian presidential decree condemns mothers and fathers (who have
had their parental rights revoked) to compulsory labor; the government retains 70
percent of their wages.

2. Central African Republic (CAR)

Most human trafficking victims in the Central African Republic (CAR) are citizens
exploited within the country. Young women in urban centers are at great risk of being
entered into the commercial sex trade. Traffickers coerce girls into marriages and
force them into domestic servitude, sexual slavery and international sex trafficking.
The International Office of Migration has developed a community awareness
campaign for at-risk communities and individuals to improve awareness of human
trafficking. This program especially targets internally displaced people (IDPs),
returnees and host populations in the Central African Republic (CAR).

3. China
China reemerges on this year’s worst countries for human trafficking list, slipping
from Tier 2 to Tier 3 in the 2017 TIP Report. In China, traffickers subject men,
women and children to forced labor and the sex trade. Traffickers target individuals
with developmental disabilities as well as children whose parents have migrated to
the cities and left them with relatives. There are also instances of the abduction of
African and Asian men to work under state-sponsored forced labor conditions on
fishing vessels.

4. Eritrea
Eritrea is no newcomer to the Tier 3 rating. Many Eritrean young women and girls
travel to Gulf States, Israel, Sudan or South Sudan for domestic work but instead
find themselves victims of sex trafficking rings. International criminal groups kidnap
vulnerable Eritreans living in or near refugee camps, particularly in Sudan.
Members of these crime syndicates then transport their captives to Libya and detain
them for ransom. Eritrean military and police officers often abet trafficking crimes
along the Sudanese border, thus maintaining Eritrea’s status as one of the worst
countries for human trafficking.

5. Iran
Iranian criminal organizations reportedly subject women and children to sex
trafficking, not only inside Iran but also in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region (IKR),
Afghanistan, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Europe.
Traffickers target Iranian girls between the ages of 13 and 17 for trade abroad.
Captors press the youngest girls into domestic service until their kidnappers deem
them old enough for use in child sex trafficking.

6. North Korea

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North Korea holds an estimated 80,000 to 120,000 prisoners in camps, many
charged with no crime. Without medical care and food, the detainees often die, their
bodies incinerated in furnaces and dumped in mass graves.
Government oppression prompts North Koreans to flee the country, making them
vulnerable to human trafficking in destination countries. North Korea’s forced labor
camps and the death penalty fuel trafficking in neighboring China. Ironically, captured
refugees returned to North Korea to experience punitive action – labor camps or
death.

7. Russia
Between 5 and 12 million migrants are working in Russia in conditions of slavery, in
positions at garment factories, as public transport drivers, and in construction and
agriculture. Russian officials facilitate the entry of migrants into the country for
exploitation. Other officials receive bribes not to investigate human trafficking crimes.
Overall, the government has not undertaken efforts to protect human trafficking
victims.

8. Sudan
Sudanese law enforcement agents are often involved in, and profit from, child sex
trafficking rings. Sudanese law prohibits the recruitment of children. However, youth
remain vulnerable to recruitment and use as combatants by Sudanese
non-governmental armed groups and militias.
Darfur is a favored route to Libya, as the porous border and lax security allow
traffickers to operate with impunity across the region. Sudanese police and border
patrol purportedly facilitate abductions of Eritrean nationals and permit the transport
of potential victims across borders without intervention.

9. Syria
The circumstances in Syria have deteriorated throughout the ongoing civil war with
sub-state armed groups of varying ideologies exerting control over vast geographic
areas of the country’s territory.
In December 2014, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) released public
guidelines on how to seize, forcibly hold, and sexually abuse female slaves. ISIS
soldiers routinely subject women and girls from minority groups to forced marriage,
domestic servitude, systematic rape and sexual violence.
ISIS requires Syrian girls to submit to virginity tests before selling them in “slave
bazaars” and transferring them to various Syrian provinces and other countries for
sexual slavery. Throughout 2016, displaced Syrians continued to utilize smugglers to
provide illegal passage to Europe via the Mediterranean Sea, putting the Syrians at
risk of being trafficked.

10. Venezuela
Among those trafficked out of Venezuela, 55 percent are adults, 26 percent are
young girls and 19 percent are young boys. Lured by promises of high paying jobs,

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they instead are sent to countries in the Caribbean, where traffickers force them into
the sex trade or domestic servitude.
Venezuela continuously ranks as one of the worst countries for human trafficking as
they do little to prevent or punish trafficking. They have strict laws surrounding it, but
the prosecution of the crime is rare. Since 2013, Venezuela has convicted only three
people under human trafficking laws.

Organizations:

ILO - The International Labour Organization

- The International Labor Organization (ILO) is devoted to promoting social

justice and internationally recognized human and labor rights, pursuing its
founding mission that labor peace is essential to prosperity.

- The unique tripartite structure of the ILO gives an equal voice to workers,
employers and governments to ensure that the views of the social partners
are closely reflected in labor standards and in shaping policies and
programmes.
- The main aims of the ILO are to promote rights at work, encourage decent
employment opportunities, enhance social protection and strengthen dialogue
on work-related issues.

ITUC - International Trade Union Confederation

The ITUC’s primary mission is the promotion and defense of workers’ rights and interests,
through international cooperation between trade unions, global campaigning and
advocacy within the major global institutions.
Its main areas of activity include the following: trade union and human rights;
economy, society and the workplace; equality and non-discrimination; and
international solidarity.
The ITUC adheres to the principles of trade union democracy and independence. It
is governed by four-yearly world congresses, a General Council and an Executive
Bureau.
The ITUC regional organizations are the Asia-Pacific Regional Organisation
(ITUC-AP), the African Regional Organisation (ITUC-AF) and the American Regional
Organisation (TUCA). It cooperates with the European Trade Union Confederation,
including through the Pan-European Regional Council.
The ITUC has close relations with the Global Union Federations and the Trade Union
Advisory Committee to the OECD (TUAC). It works closely with the International
Labour Organisation and with several other UN Specialized Agencies.

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Timeline

1500-1866: TRANSATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE

Throughout the 16tn century, Portugal started to travel overseas to Africa in order to
capture people, sell them, use them as slaves or take them to Europe. Therefore,
other countries in Europe followed them.

In 1525, there was the first slave voyage to from Africa to America which maked a
very significant date. During the following 350 years after, in a period known as th
Trasadlantic Slave Trade, over 12.5 million slaves from Africa were shipped to
places al around the world. To the Americas, 10.7 million slaves arrived, these
involved the Caribbean, South America and North America. between 300 000 and
400 000 thousand african slaves arrived to North America.

Finally, as a point of consideration, a long the 16th century the ownership of african
slaves was legal and governmentally condoned practice. In Britain, slavery was
accepted just until 1807 where they outlawed slavery. Following, the Unites states
prohibited the use of african slaves in 1820, taking into consideration that it was 40
years before the American Civil War started. ignoring this US law, the las slave
voyage from Africa to the Americas was in 1866.

1850-1900: THE TRAFFIC OF CHINESE WOMEN INTO THE UNITED STATES

Chinese began arriving in the United States in the mid- 1800s and they were moved
there by the promise of lucrative jobs which were associated with the California Gold
Rush and the Central Pacific Railroad.

When the number of Chinese immigrants started to grow, they started to become
seen as a target of racial hatred and violence because of the pressure they
perceived due to the economic threat. Meanwhile, the concern of the practice of
“coolie” labor spread out. Finally, at the end of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, many
countries surrounding the Americas wanted to contract “coolie” labor which came
from China becaude they were seen a low- wage workers that benefited the
businesses.

In the other hand, many critics have the opinion that this type of labor was just a new
form of slavery in which sometimes violence was used.

Suddenly, an article was established in 1875 which oblied to limit the immigration of
Asians into the US with the aim pf preventing immoral conditions of human
trafficking. Consequently, fines were imposed and jail was a method of punishing

14
someone that wanted to bring people into the United States. With this regulation, the
immigration of Chinese women came to an end.

1900-1910: THE INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT FOR THE SUPPRESSION OF

“WHITE SLAVE TRAFFIC”

After the abolition of the African slave trade, a new method of slavery was the use of
“white slavery” since it become a topic of interest for many international governments
as people became aware of European women.

White slavery was defined as the “procurement — by use of force, deceit, or drugs
— of a white woman or girl against her will for prostitution.”

Many international conferences against white slavery took place in Paris over 1899
an 1902. In 1904, the Mann Act, or the International Agreement for the Supperssion
of “White Slave Traffic”, was signed ans assembled as the first international
agreement which criticised human trafficking. The act was mostly focused o migrant
women and children. Finally, in 1910, 13 countries managed to sign and take part of
the International Convention for the Suppression of White Slave Trade. Thy this
signatures, the countries manages to make this form of traffickinf illegal.

1919: THE INTERNATIONAL LABOR ORGANIZATION

In 1919, the International Labor Organisation was formed to provide protective

standards for working conditions such as pay and hours

1921: INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION FOR THE SUPPRESSION OF TRAFFIC IN

WOMEN AND CHILDREN

Along the 1900s human trafficking was considered as a forced labor and sexual
exploitation. In 1920, as a follow to the First World War, the League of Nations was
Founded as the first international organitzation of nations and their goals were
maintaining world peace and the focus on international issues raised such as human
trafficking .

Finally, in 1921 31 countries managed to sign the Leage of Nations document which
talked about the trafficking of women and children. This agreement represented an
important step on our societies nowadays.

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1949: UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION FOR THE SUPPRESSION OF THE
TRAFFIC IN PERSONS AND OF THE PROSTITUTION OF OTHERS

After the Second World War, the people who formed the United Nations adopted the
United Nations Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the
Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others in 1949, the landmark document on human
rights. Firstly, it was a legally binding international agreement on human trafficking.
However, in today’s days, only 66 nations have managed to sign it.

1980 - PRESENT DAY: THE INTERNET AND SOCIAL MEDIA

With the use of the internet, the aspects of human trafficking have changed in a very
severw way. Now it is not lonegr useful to move workers from a specific physical
location thanks to video streaming. Therefore, a victim can remain in one location
without being exploited all over the world.

2000: UNITED NATIONS PROTOCOL TO PREVENT, SUPPRESS AND PUNISH

TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS, ESPECIALLY WOMEN AND CHILDREN

In the 2000, the UN adopted a protocol to suppress and punish trafficking in persons,
especially women and children. It was the first agreement that acknowledged
modern day slavery and te possibility of men being victims of human trafficking

In March 2007, in an effort to promote a communal global approach to fighting

human trafficking, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) launched
the United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UN.GIFT). This
initiative highlights a renewed commitment by world leaders to combat human
trafficking. As of December 4, 2007, 116 nations had signed the Protocol to Prevent,
Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children.

Relevant UN Treaties, Resolutions and Reports

29 September 2016- with current conflicts and humanitaian crises which dirce
massive population movements, not just in Europe- it has been an upcoming United
Nations repots topic. This confirms the troubling fact that human trafficking follows
migratory flows, therefore, it urges the states to back the Trafficking in Persons
Protocol and other international tools to address the evolving and complex situation.

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John Brandolino, UNODC Director of the Division for Treaty Affairs, spotted the
importance of the international treaties in human trafficking so he co-josted with the
European Union (EU) the first-ever UN Summit for Refugees and Migrants.

The 2016 UNODC Global Report on Trafficking in Persons, confirms that human
trafficking flows generally follow the overall migratory flows, and that the majority of
trafficking victims detected globally by Member States (around 60 per cent) are
foreigners in the country of detection, most of them migrants.

The information collected for the Global Report shows an increasing detection of
victims from conflict-affected countries such as Syria, Iraq and Somalia in countries
in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

The continuing vulnerability of women and children as victims of trafficking in

persons will also be revealed in the Global Report. The EU Anti-Trafficking
Coordinator's Progress Report came to the same conclusion, highlighting the
particular vulnerability of migrant children.

Further, EU data confirms that child trafficking is exacerbated by the ongoing

migration crisis, during which the number of children arriving in the EU has risen
exponentially. A significant amount of these children are travelling unaccompanied,
making them preferred targets for traffickers.

The New York Declaration actually reaffirms the importance of the UN Convention
against Transnational Organized Crime, and the two Protocols - the Trafficking in
Persons Protocol and the Smuggling of Migrants Protocol. Specifically the TIP is one
of the most successful treaties in modern international law, enjoying one of the
speediest ratification trajectories ever, and soon approaching universality, noting that
as of today, there are 170 ratifications, or nearly 90 per cent of all Member States,
including most recently, the Republic of Korea, Singapore and the Maldives.

Resolution adopted by the United Nations, General Assembly 2016

Resolution adopted by UNODC

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Previous Attempts to Solve the Issue

This problem has been noticed by entities with power. Less than twenty years ago,
human trafficking was defined by Palermo Protocol, an international treaty, whereby
the international community committed to prevent, punish and supress trafficking in
persons. Since then, global attention has been focused on fighting and eradicating
the crime of human trafficking.

Entities have worked towards this problem. Every year hundreds of millions of dollars
are spent on counter trafficking efforts, mostly on investigation and criminal
prosecution, in hopes to rescue irregular migrants and sex workers who could
possibly be potential victims and spreading knowledge to raise awareness among
those who might experience or encounter human trafficking.

Although the profit has been high and there has been commitment to fighting
exploitation and abuse of individuals, it has not resulted in cohesive action to prevent
trafficking.
From the latest global data on the prevalence of human trafficking and reports of
grass-roots organizations, all signs show that we have failed to reduce the number or
severity of abuses.
Moreover, drawing upon the sensationalism of “modern slavery”, calls for expanded
auditing of supply chains and for corporate disclosures on sourcing have proliferated.
However, these voluntary initiatives have not brought substantive improvement.

Possible Solutions

Currently, we are looking for possible solutions in hopes to end this human’s rights
violation. Addressing trafficking more effectively requires a clearer understanding of
the underlying issues. Human trafficking is not the result of a few criminals who have
managed to avoid prosecution. It is a systemic problem, with roots in the violation of
labour rights: unsafe workplaces, excessive working hours, lack of overtime pay,
wage theft, lack of freedom of association.

Firstly, one possible solution could be avoiding the changes to business models that
could make a real difference, such as paying workers a living wage or expanding
social protection.

Furthermore, a greater focus on protection of labour rights and ensuring decent

working conditions is needed to reduce vulnerability to human trafficking. This means
bringing those employed precariously in domestic work, agriculture, fishing,
entertainment, and other informal work under the full protection of labour laws.

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This would mean:

● Tackling discriminatory treatment, particularly for women and migrant workers;

● Extending social protection schemes so that all workers can benefit;
● Broadening the mandate and resources of labour inspectorates to enforce
labour laws;
● Facilitating access to complaint mechanisms through outreach and legal
assistance;
● Guaranteeing freedom of association for workers to organize and bargain
collectively.

All these possible solutions are being taken into account and could potentially be a
solution for all those human rights that are being broken down nowadays.

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