Human Trafficking

FI calls for protection of victims of human trafficking—a widespread international practice.

Franciscans International, in alliance with other NGOs (Anti-Slavery International, Caritas Internationalis, Dominicans for Justice and Peace and Trócaire) is developing a comprehensive program on human trafficking both in terms of advocacy at the United Nations and of formation for Franciscans at the grassroots.

FI strongly believes that human trafficking is a gross violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms (Sub-Commission Resolution 2002 / 27) and that trafficking in persons is a widespread, global phenomenon. We, therefore, regret that the Commission continues to limit the examination of this topic solely from the perspective of women’s and girls’ rights.

We will actively work at the Commission in view that the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Recommended Principles and Guidelines on Human Rights and Human Trafficking be incorporated at the earliest by States into their domestic legislation and be implemented in full.

FI will also urge States to ratify the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the Convention on Transnational Organized Crime (2000) and to ensure that its measures are effectively implemented at the national level.

Specifically, during the CHR, we will call upon governments:

1. to ensure that their domestic legislation prohibits and punishes trafficking in women, children and men for sexual and labour exploitation;
2. to ensure that the protection of trafficked persons is built into anti-trafficking legislation, including appropriate shelter, physical and psychological care and protection from summary deportation or removal where there are reasonable grounds to conclude that this would represent a significant security risk to the trafficked person or their family;
3. to develop national plans of action to end trafficking and present detailed information regarding the number of trafficked people assisted, the number of successful prosecutions obtained and other measures taken to prevent and combat trafficking in their periodic reports to the United Nations human rights treaty-monitoring bodies;
4. not to make protection and support for trafficked persons conditional upon the capacity or willingness of the trafficked person to cooperate in legal proceedings.