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A human rights-based approach to the administration of criminal justice in cases of trafficking in persons 2012, para. 28
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur observes that, while numerous States do not have a specific law designed to minimize the criminalization of trafficking victims, many note that, as a matter of policy, trafficking victims are not prosecuted for status-related crimes. The Special Rapporteur observes, however, that some States have passed specific legislation in this regard. For example, a Moldovan law provides that trafficked persons who have committed unlawful acts as a direct result of being trafficked will not be prosecuted for such offences. In the United States, New York State recently passed a law to allow trafficking victims with prostitution-related convictions to vacate their judgements.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
A human rights-based approach to the administration of criminal justice in cases of trafficking in persons 2012, para. 32
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur is aware of the fact that each victim of trafficking has a unique story and experience, which makes it difficult to create categorical rules about identification of victims. Yet while there is no one clear formula for best identifying victims, a number of examples and already existing practices may provide guidance on the issue.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
A human rights-based approach to the administration of criminal justice in cases of trafficking in persons 2012, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- Working at the forefront and on the ground, victim support agencies will often be the first to come into contact with trafficked persons; they thus serve a fundamental function by referring victims to the appropriate authorities for assistance, helping to file complaints and reporting illegal activity to law enforcement. Moreover, in States where resources may be limited for anti-trafficking programmes, such agencies can provide valuable support by operating shelters, giving free legal assistance or offering medical or psychological care. Even where resources are abundant, the provision of assistance by victim support agencies remains invaluable, because victims may be more likely to trust a non-governmental organization than criminal justice agencies.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
A human rights-based approach to the administration of criminal justice in cases of trafficking in persons 2012, para. 50
- Paragraph text
- Even in the absence of formalized cooperation agreements, increased cooperation can yield important results. For example, although no formal cooperation mechanisms exist between non-governmental organizations and criminal justice agencies in Belarus, in recent years there has been an increase in practical cooperation between them in providing assistance to trafficking victims. As a result, non-governmental anti-trafficking organizations have reported that communication with officials has improved and, in some instances, the relevant agencies have permitted specialists from the organizations to attend police interviews and closed court hearings upon victims' requests. More recently it was reported that non-governmental organizations had assisted in the training of Government officials in victim identification.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
A human rights-based approach to the administration of criminal justice in cases of trafficking in persons 2012, para. 64
- Paragraph text
- Insufficient data and accompanying analysis on patterns of criminal activity continue to hinder efforts to investigate and prosecute trafficking cases. To address this problem, Peru has developed a database system for its national police force to record and manage trafficking cases, which can be used to generate statistical reports and qualitative intelligence information to enhance investigative capacity. In Colombia, an operational anti-trafficking in persons centre coordinates and tracks investigations, prosecutions and victim assistance programmes.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
A human rights-based approach to the administration of criminal justice in cases of trafficking in persons 2012, para. 69
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur notes that international cooperation and collaboration in the investigation process is also important; for example, Malta grants investigators the legal authority to take all measures they would be entitled to take in a domestic case if so requested by a foreign judicial authority. The Special Rapporteur also recalls the positive example noted at the expert meeting, where the collaboration of law enforcement authorities from Nigeria and other European destination countries regarding the trafficking of persons from Nigeria into the Netherlands and Europe led to the arrest of traffickers in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom, as well as in the United States and Nigeria. The Netherlands built on the experience by providing the Nigerian agency for the prohibition of traffic in persons (see paragraph 61 above) with training and technical assistance for detectives, prosecutors and border police. Another example of cross-border collaboration can be seen in Rwanda, whose national police Aanti-trafficking unit has collaborated with police in Burundi to rescue victims. In addition, Rwanda has set up the Isange Centre to rehabilitate victims and has made efforts to train law enforcement officials, including by sending them abroad.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
A human rights-based approach to the administration of criminal justice in cases of trafficking in persons 2012, para. 83
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur notes that there are other instances where, despite laws allowing for the seizure of assets, the proceeds of funds confiscated have reportedly failed to be distributed to victims. For example, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which has a comprehensive anti-trafficking law, in a landmark case in 2009, a trafficking ringleader was sentenced to 12 years in prison, fined $14,286, and over $204,600 in assets were seized. There is, however, no evidence that these funds went to the victims. Similarly, in the Czech Republic, following the successful prosecution of eight gang members for trafficking, the assets of the accused, estimated at more than $1.5 million, were seized. Again, no evidence was found that the funds had been distributed to the victims.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
A human rights-based approach to the administration of criminal justice in cases of trafficking in persons 2012, para. 84
- Paragraph text
- Other laws allow for the confiscation of assets from convicted trafficking offenders but do not directly support victims. For example, in Armenia, although article 266 of the Criminal Code provides for the confiscation of assets from convicted trafficking offenders, it does not specify where those funds would go. Thus, in 2010, although the Government provided partial funding of $17,000 for a shelter for 21 trafficking victims, it was not clear whether the funding was derived from the proceeds of asset confiscation.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
A human rights-based approach to the administration of criminal justice in cases of trafficking in persons 2012, para. 93
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur urges States to extend protection and assistance to victim-witnesses in cases of trafficking in person pretrial, during trials and post-trial. Experience has shown that victim-witnesses are most vulnerable post-trial, when they usually no longer benefit from witness protection programmes.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
A human rights-based approach to the administration of criminal justice in cases of trafficking in persons 2012, para. 97
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur urges States to engage in proactive investigation, employing new technologies and methods that focus on gathering evidence to prove culpability for trafficking crimes without heavy or sole reliance on the testimony of victims. Trafficked persons should not be used as instruments for criminal investigations. In all cases, it is imperative that States integrate gender and aged-based perspectives into investigations and prosecution.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
A human rights-based approach to the administration of criminal justice in cases of trafficking in persons 2012, para. 101
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur notes that political pressure to prosecute traffickers may lead to over-enforcement, shortcuts and unacceptable trade-offs. It is important that efforts by States to end impunity for traffickers should include appropriate safeguards in the criminal justice responses that protect victims, witnesses and suspects, and integrate gender and aged-based perspectives into investigations and prosecution.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
A human rights-based approach to the administration of criminal justice in cases of trafficking in persons 2012, para. 102
- Paragraph text
- Lastly, the Special Rapporteur urges States to intensify efforts to strengthen the technical capacity of criminal justice administrators, in particular, that of judges, prosecutors and the police. A comprehensive curriculum on trafficking in persons, including online courses, should be mainstreamed in ongoing education training programmes.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Agenda setting of the work of the Special Rapporteur 2015, para. 54
- Paragraph text
- With a view to preventing all forms of trafficking, the Special Rapporteur also intends to develop, through research, thematic studies and other means, an understanding of new and emerging trends in trafficking, such as the consequences and impacts that conflicts and humanitarian crises may have on trafficking, on which there is a dearth of information.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Agenda setting of the work of the Special Rapporteur 2015, para. 62
- Paragraph text
- Building on the existing work of the mandate, in particular the basic principles on the right to an effective remedy for trafficked persons (A/HRC/26/18, annex) and A/69/33797), the Special Rapporteur intends to analyse laws, policies and practices around the world and take stock of promising practices and lessons learned on the provision of unconditional assistance to victims and potential victims of trafficking. She expects to provide guidance to policy makers and practitioners on better implementing the right to assistance and support, and maximize outreach and impact, thereby contributing to more effective prevention and prosecution.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Agenda setting of the work of the Special Rapporteur 2015, para. 64
- Paragraph text
- Moreover, international law mandates States to exercise due diligence to prevent trafficking, to investigate and prosecute traffickers, to assist and protect victims of trafficking and to provide access to remedy. As trafficking in persons is most often perpetrated by non-State actors, compliance with the due diligence principle is critical to ensure State accountability for the protection of the rights of victims and potential victims. However, the standard of due diligence as it relates to trafficking in persons has not been comprehensively articulated, either by the mandate of the Special Rapporteur or elsewhere. Therefore, the Special Rapporteur is of the view that additional guidance would be necessary to better equip States for the actions required to comply with their due diligence obligations.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Agenda setting of the work of the Special Rapporteur 2015, para. 79
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur is explicitly mandated to respond effectively to reliable allegations of human rights violations with a view to protecting the rights of actual or potential victims of trafficking. In accordance with established procedure, the Special Rapporteur will communicate cases to States, requesting clarification and action.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Agenda setting of the work of the Special Rapporteur 2015, para. 81
- Paragraph text
- In the course of her work the Special Rapporteur intends to strengthen the mandate's engagement with relevant treaty bodies in order to create synergy to ensure States' accountability with regard to the issue of trafficking in persons. She will benefit from their expertise and their concluding observations, general comments/recommendations and case law on issues relating to trafficking, to which she also expects to contribute when relevant. She also believes that the universal periodic review contributes to strengthening efforts aimed at combating trafficking in persons as part of a holistic review of a country's human rights situation.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Due diligence and trafficking in persons 2015, para. 26
- Paragraph text
- Additional good practices in this regard that have been previously identified by the present mandate holder include the use of mobile units in Italy "that ensure the presence of social services among populations at risk of exploitation, especially sex workers" and in the Bahamas, the opening of "channels of communication" between the Inter-Ministry Committee (the coordinating body for policy matters on trafficking in persons) and the Trafficking in Persons Task Force (the operational body for addressing trafficking in persons) "with the diplomatic and consular corps in the Bahamas, which have been encouraged to report any suspicion of trafficking cases."
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Movement
- Violence
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Due diligence and trafficking in persons 2015, para. 27
- Paragraph text
- Victim identification under the rubric of prevention - as well as in the context of investigation, prosecution, protection and assistance - also requires greater training and understanding of the "continuum of exploitation" that exists between decent work and forced labour, such that workers experience different forms of exploitation that require different types of interventions when workers find themselves in any situation other than decent work. In addition, training should address the relationship between different forms of transborder movement. For example, trafficking and smuggling are often treated distinctly when in practice they are often very linked, such that what was once an act of smuggling can be turned into an act of trafficking if the circumstances become more exploitative and involuntary.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Violence
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Due diligence and trafficking in persons 2015, para. 31
- Paragraph text
- In addition to the obligation to conduct a domestic investigation into events occurring on their own territories, due diligence also means that States have a "duty in cross-border trafficking cases to cooperate effectively with the relevant authorities of other States concerned in the investigation of events which occurred outside their territories." In order to comply with the exterritorial implementation of due diligence obligations, States should also, for example, incorporate extraterritorial jurisdiction into national legislation criminalizing trafficking and strengthen protections against trafficking in contracting or procurement practices for activities abroad. For example, Belize's Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Act 2013 gives extraterritorial jurisdiction if trafficking is committed by a Belizean national or a person who is resident in Belize. The present mandate holder has also previously emphasized the need to "extend the national legislative prohibition on trafficking in persons for the removal of organs and related offences extraterritorially, irrespective of the legal status of the relevant acts in the country in which they occur."
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Violence
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
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. 48
- Paragraph text
- Consumers and investors play an important role in pressing businesses to take appropriate action. However, they depend on accurate information being provided by others. In this context, journalists and NGOs that investigate supply and product chains have played an important role and organizations representing exploited workers or providing assistance to them are well-placed to provide accurate information.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
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. 57
- Paragraph text
- Some States have preferred to encourage self-regulation among employment agencies. This was the approach in some European countries which later adopted tighter control and a system of licensing of agencies, for instance due to tragic incidents caused by trafficking in persons.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Prevention of trafficking in persons 2010, para. 28
- Paragraph text
- Prevention programmes should also strategically target individuals who are at particular risk of being trafficked. This essentially requires a careful assessment of the salient characteristics of individuals who are being trafficked from a particular community to understand why they are vulnerable to trafficking. The experience of the United Nations inter-agency project on human trafficking in South-East Asia confirms that research into the circumstances in which people are trafficked is crucial, for it is the most important method by which evidence on the experience of trafficked persons is collected and by which preventive strategies can be made evidence-based, rather than being based on guesses or prejudice. The needs assessment of one village in the Lao People's Democratic Republic carried out by the project reinforces this point. The village was initially targeted for a microfinance project aimed at preventing trafficking, having regard to certain risk factors. This included the fact that the village was one of the poorest provinces, inhabited by the Hmong ethnic minority population, which has limited access to education and a low literacy rate. The needs assessment revealed, however, that there was a low risk of trafficking, as the village was far from the main road and traffickers were not known to be active in the area. Furthermore, the population did not have much aspiration or desire to seek another lifestyle. Thus, while donors were keen to invest resources in this project for the purpose of preventing trafficking, this would have achieved very little in terms of prevention, as the project was not strategically targeted at vulnerable populations.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Prevention of trafficking in persons 2010, para. 36
- Paragraph text
- As has been observed, while proponents on both sides of the debate hold tenaciously to their convictions, there remains no conclusive link between the legalization or criminalization of prostitution and the existence of trafficking for sexual exploitation. Although the Special Rapporteur does not wish to draw conclusions in this debate, she wants to shift the attention away from exclusively tackling consumer demand and to underline the critical need to ensure that undivided attention is paid to prevention strategies that focus on tackling the structural root causes of trafficking while respecting the human rights of trafficked persons. In this context, the Special Rapporteur notes the evidence that the majority of clients of commercial sexual services are not concerned whether the services are provided by persons who are prostitutes by choice or trafficked persons. The evidence also suggests that trafficking results mainly from the demands of employers or third parties (such as recruiters, agents, transporters and others knowingly participating in trafficking) who control and exploit people, coupled with the lack of labour rights protection that allows exploitation to take place.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Prevention of trafficking in persons 2010, para. 78
- Paragraph text
- New technologies, in particular social networking, should be creatively and vigorously used and sustained to prevent and combat all forms of trafficking in persons, although it is recognized that its usage is limited in certain countries owing to the digital divide and access-related problems based on geographical location, age and gender differences.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Movement
- Violence
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Prevention of trafficking in persons 2010, para. 79
- Paragraph text
- States should reinforce efforts to collect accurate data and statistics on trafficking in persons that will inform evidence-based comprehensive prevention strategies. Such collection and analysis of data on trafficking should extend beyond collecting general statistics and encompass careful research and analysis of the characteristics of individuals who are at higher risk of being trafficked, as well as profiles of traffickers and their modus operandi.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Regional and subregional cooperation in promoting a human rights-based approach to combatting trafficking in persons 2010, para. 29
- Paragraph text
- OSCE has addressed trafficking in persons as a major concern since 2000, when the first Ministerial Council Decision on enhancing the OSCE's Efforts to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings was taken. In 2003, the OSCE Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings was adopted, and in 2006 the Special Representative and Coordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings was appointed. In 2007, a Platform for Action against Human Trafficking was adopted, which focuses on six priority areas: encouraging action at national level and establishing national anti-trafficking structures; promoting evidence-based policies and programmes; stepping up efforts to prevent trafficking in human beings; prioritizing action against child trafficking; addressing all forms of trafficking in human beings; promoting effective assistance and access to justice for all victims.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Regional and subregional cooperation in promoting a human rights-based approach to combatting trafficking in persons 2010, para. 53
- Paragraph text
- Regional organizations have also successfully provided assistance to countries in drafting national anti-trafficking legislation. For example, COMMIT in the Mekong region has been particularly active in promoting the establishment of national legal frameworks to criminalize trafficking, provide for appropriate penalties, protect victims and support witnesses.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Regional and subregional cooperation in promoting a human rights-based approach to combatting trafficking in persons 2010, para. 67
- Paragraph text
- The OAS secretariat gave training in 2009 to Uruguayan and Argentine security forces to be deployed on United Nations peacekeeping missions. As a direct result, Uruguay's training centre has trained more than 7,000 peacekeepers in the prevention of trafficking and the identification and protection of victims. Also, as a result of the OAS secretariat's training conducted in Ecuador in 2009 for officers from various ministries, the ministries have agreed on a protocol for victim assistance, identifying the responsibilities of each institution.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Regional and subregional cooperation in promoting a human rights-based approach to combatting trafficking in persons 2010, para. 69
- Paragraph text
- While the collection of credible statistical information on trafficked persons is essential to the understanding of all facets of the problem and to informing appropriate action, trafficking remains underreported and underdocumented.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph