Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Ministerial Council held at Maastricht,
The Netherlands, on 1 and 2 December 2003).
Recognizing also that global efforts, including international cooperation and technical
assistance programmes, to prevent and combat trafficking in persons, especially women and
children, demand strong political commitment by and the active cooperation of all
Governments of countries of origin, transit and destination,
Stressing the need for a global approach to prevent and combat trafficking in persons,
especially women and children, and the importance, in this regard, of systematic data
collection and comprehensive studies, including on the modus operandi of trafficking
syndicates,
Acknowledging the work done by intergovernmental and non-governmental
organizations in compiling information on the scale and complexity of the problem of
trafficking, organizing prevention campaigns, providing shelter for trafficked women and
children and in effecting their voluntary repatriation to their countries of origin,
Recognizing the need to address the impact of globalization on the problem of
trafficking in persons, especially women and children, in particular girls,
Seriously concerned at the increasing number of women and girl children from
developing countries and from some countries with economies in transition who are being
trafficked to developed countries, as well as within and between regions and States, and
concerned that men and boys are also victims of trafficking,
Gravely concerned at the increasing activities of transnational criminal organizations
and others that profit from international trafficking in persons, especially women and
children, without regard to dangerous and inhumane conditions and in flagrant violation of
domestic laws and international standards,
Convinced of the need to protect and assist all victims of trafficking, with full respect
for their human rights,
Convinced that no person willingly consents to the suffering and exploitation that
trafficking of persons entails,
Deeply concerned about the use of new information technologies, including the
Internet, for purposes of exploitation of the prostitution of others and for child pornography,
paedophilia and any other forms of sexual exploitation of children, as well as for trafficking in
women as brides and sex tourism,
Acknowledging the fact that the majority of victims of trafficking in persons are
women and girls and, for that reason, measures to prevent and to combat this form of violence
need to be child- and gender-sensitive,
1.
Takes note with appreciation of the report of the Special Rapporteur on the
human rights of migrants (E/CN.4/2004/76 and Add.1-4), which focuses mainly on an
analysis of the situation of women migrant domestic workers but devotes a section to
trafficking, especially of women;
page 2