Integration of a human rights-based approach in measures to discourage the demand that fosters all forms of exploitation of persons, especially women and children, and which leads to human trafficking 2013, para. 11
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Over the past decade, anti-trafficking practitioners have debated what actions are required to discourage demand and what measures have proved effective. Progress in answering these questions has been notably slow. One reason is that the term "demand" is still subject to different interpretations, with some States and organizations putting the emphasis on measures to discourage exploitation associated with services, particularly sexual services and the exploitation of the prostitution of others, considering it appropriate to discourage men and boys from paying for commercial sexual services in any circumstances, whether the women, girls or men and boys with whom they pay for sex have been trafficked or not. Another reason is that addressing the demand side requires giving priority to measures in the places where trafficked persons are exploited, rather than in the locations (and States) where adults and children are recruited to be trafficked and exploited elsewhere. This has been a challenge for States that have either made no estimate of the scale of trafficking and exploitation of persons occurring in their territory or which refuse to acknowledge the scale of such abuse (with the result that they have not given priority to measures to prevent human trafficking). It also calls for an analysis and understanding of the factors that allow demand to be met by the exploitation of trafficked persons, including economic, social and cultural factors.
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Non-negotiated soft law
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Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children