UN Asian Forum Calls For Reform In Migrant Rights And Victim Aid

(Source: UNODC)

24 September 2010

UN News Centre (Bangkok) – The Asian-Pacific Regional Preparatory Meeting for the Global Forum on Migration and Development 2010 called on the international community to create laws which give legal protection and social services to migrants vulnerable to or affected by human trafficking. The Asian forum called for nations to provide legal protections to both foreign and domestic migrant workers from human trafficking while also providing health and education services to these workers. The forum maintains that most susceptible migrant worker to human trafficking is the undocumented worker. The forum believes migrants deserve rights and aid to reinforce human rights precedent and ensure economic contribution by migrants. The Asian forum’s statement will be presented to the entire Global Forum on Migration and Development in November.

Source:

  

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=36133&Cr=MIGRATION&Cr1=

(Reliability: 7/10)

Comment: (Source Reliability: The source contains no bias or inaccuracy. The 7 rating comes from the fact that the source does not provide detail into which Asian nations do the least to provide services and rights to trafficked migrants. Nor does the source provide detail into how victim services and right recognition entails stronger economic performance.)

Comment: As the recommendations will be presented to the Global Forum on Migration and Development in November, its is not possible at the moment to predict what type or what level of operational impact these recommendations and conclusions will have on Asian or Global anti-trafficking efforts. Statements made by participants at the Global Forum on Migration will provide clues as to what level of commitment individual regions or nations will take with respect to these recommendations and conclusions.  

UNODC Executive Director Creates Plan To Fight African Trafficking

UNODC Exec. Dir. Yuri Fedotov (left) meeting with Thuita Mwangi, Kenya's Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary (Source: Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

23 September 2010

The Standard (Nairobi) - Yury Fedotov, Executive Director of the UN’s Office on Drugs and Crime, created a plan to fight African human trafficking by increasing the prosecution of trafficking pirates by way of strengthened African courts. Fedetov’s plan continues the UN’s study of the current performance and operation of Kenyan courts while starting a legal technical assistance pilot program in 3 provinces. The pilot program requires a Kenyan created anti-corruption strategy within 2 years of the pilot program’s end. Fedetov’s plan also calls for legal infrastructure building for Somalia and any African nation willing to prosecute pirates in order to reduce Kenya’s prosecution burden.

Source:

http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/InsidePage.php?id=2000018975&cid=4

(Reliability: 9/10)

Comment: (Source Reliability:  No issues of bias or inaccuracy in the source. However, the source does not indicate a Director Fedotov's level of focus on a purely African response to piracy and human trafficking.)

Analysis: In June of 2010, the German ambassador to Kenya released analysis into Kenya's motivation for combating pirates. The primary reason Kenya has tackled piracy off its is to resolve economic impacts from piracy in various Kenyan industries and protect citizens. Kenya has begun to cooperate with international navies and taken the lead among the international community in prosecuting pirates. However, Kenya's  increased demand for assistance and responsibility from the the international community in prosecution will likely mean that UNODC assistance will be accepted but not satisfy the Kenyan government. More over, this acceptance of UNODC assistance means Kenya is targeting human trafficking as means to disrupt Somali pirates. However, as Kenya's burden of Somali refugees and piracy continues to grow and exceed the proportion endured by other nations, Kenya will likely decrease refugee or piracy efforts and expect more action against piracy from the international community. 
     
     Should Kenya decrease piracy prosecutions and/or refugee efforts, the UNODC will have to reevaluate its strategy and potentially restructure its strategy to either continue to support the Kenyan legal infrastructure or target international responsibility for pirate prosecution. However, considering the desire and strategy of Director Fedotov to build a purely or majority African and self-sustained response to piracy and human trafficking, the latter strategy rather than the former strategy would be adopted. However, the degree of likelihood can not be determined from this source since no statement is made as to the UNODC's level of desire for a purely or majority African response. Additionally, Director Fedotov's recent installation as Executive Director this month has not given enough time to determine how committed he is to a purely or majority African response to piracy and human trafficking.


Comment Continued: Background into the Existence of Kenya's Pirate Courts (Source: NTVKeyna/Youtube)

UN Sponsors Multi-Agency Training In Relief Efforts For Trafficking Victims In Belarus

EU-UNDP-UNICEF meeting with Belarusian Officials (Source: UNDP Belarus)

13 September 2010

United Nations Development Programme (Minsk) - The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) of Belarus, the EU, and UNICEF, began the funding for the training of 200 Belarusian social protection specialists in tactics aimed at preventing and addressing the social effects of human trafficking for victims in Belarus. The training, conducted by the Belarusian Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Labor and Social Prevention, and numerous Baltic NGOs and social experts, deals in issues of  preventing human trafficking, giving psychological aid to victims, and ethical implications in relief work. The trainees come from all of Belarus’ regions and will return to their respective regions to implement their training. The aim of the training is to help the Belarusian government in deterring human trafficking and aid its victims by improving regional success and national aggregate success rate towards the 2 goals.

Source:

http://un.by/en/undp/news/belarus/13-09-2010-n2.html

(Reliability: 9/10)

Comment: (Source Reliability: The source presents no issues of bias or inaccuracy. However, no detail is provided into the forces behind the Belarusian need for social service training, reforms, and funding.)

Comment: As of 2009, Belarus has made significant legal and policy developments to combat human trafficking. Prior to and during 2009, Belarus was considered to by the UN to be dangerously close to becoming an international hub for trafficking (fulfilling the roles of source, destination, and transit nations all at once). Specifically, Belarus has signed and ratified the UN's 2000 Palermo Protocol Against Transnational Organized Crime and has begun to codify anti-trafficking laws. The acceptance of UN and EU assistance in trafficking social services is likely to be an extension of the government's agenda to curb the growth of trafficking from and to Belarus.

Source for Consideration:

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=30914&Cr=human+trafficking&Cr1=

UN Rapporteur Suggests Argentine Law Enforcement Reform

Joy Ezeilo (left) meets with Julio Alak (Source: Argentine Ministry of Justice, Security, and Human Rights)

11 September 2010

Merco Press (United Nations) – Joy Ezeilo, UN special Rapporteur on Human Trafficking, reported on and gave remedy advice on Argentina’s poor policy and law enforcement infrastructure against human trafficking and related corruption to the Argentine government. Ezeilo’s report aims on the gaps in law enforcement resources and prosecution of provincial level corruption. Ezeilo’s advice to Julio Alak, Minister of Justice, Security, and Human Rights, was increased law enforcement cooperation with surrounding victim source nations (such as Boliva, Paraguay, and the Dominican Republic). Ezeilo’s advice to policymakers was an increase in resources to law enforcement and increasing levels of prosecution and punishment for corruption.

Source:

http://en.mercopress.com/2010/09/11/argentine-poor-legislation-and-corruption-promote-trafficking-of-persons-says-un

(Reliability: 8/10)

Comment: (Source Reliability: The 8 rating reflects the fact that the source does not provide adequate detail into the meetings between Ms. Ezeilo and the Argentine government. Specifically, the source does not detail the specific instances of corruption and, importantly, the level of cooperation the Argentine government will pursue to accomplish Ms. Ezeilo's recommendations. Since no level of willing cooperation with Ms. Ezeilo's recommendations by the Argentine government is available, a prediction into the likelihood of Argentine action will be severely diminished.)

Analysis: The primary motivation for the Argentine government to combat human trafficking is a desire to combat the infrastructure of domestic organized crime. The Argentine government has found that domestic organized crime has turned Argentina into a transit point for international and domestic victims of human trafficking. Consequently, Argentina has increased its anti-trafficking efforts by signing and ratifying all UN anti-trafficking/organized crime protocols and increasing human trafficking studies with partners such as the International Organization for Migration. Thus, the open access and welcome granted to Ms. Ezelio, along with the willingness of the Minister of Justice, Security, and Human Rights to listen to recommendations, seems to indicate that Ms. Ezelio's recommendations will likely be implemented. However, considering the Argentine government's desire to eliminate organized crime and any influence it may have on the government, it is highly likely that Ms. Ezelio's recommendations will be modified to fit Argentina's agenda or at minimum be considered for implementation or modification. 


Source for Consideration:

http://oppenheimer.mcgill.ca/La-traite-des-personnes-en

UN Fund Creates Plans To Fight Indonesian Trafficking & Provide Aid

06 September 2010

Voice of America (Jakarta) – UN and Human Rights NGO officials stated plans to fight human trafficking and assist its victims in Indonesia via the new UN Human Trafficking Trust Fund. Gary Lewis, East Asia and Pacific representative of the UN Office of Drugs and Crime, believes a study of regional human trafficking organization will aid in showing the growth of this crime and the effectiveness of UN action. Nora Murat, Director of Amnesty International Malaysia, believes the new UN fund should quickly address the legal and humanitarian plights endured by human trafficking victims through the funding of victim centers.  

Source:

http://www.voanews.com/english/news/Indonesian-Women-Trafficked-Abroad-Find-Hope-in-UN-Trust-Fund-102283959.html

(Reliability: 8/10)

Comment: (Source Reliability: The accuracy and lack of bias of the Voice of America are do not detract from the reliability of the source. However, the lack of significant detail into the current level of effort priority the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) headquarters holds on Indonesian trafficking limits analysis and prediction.)


Analysis: As the last post's analysis details the trend in UNODC efforts, especially in research, the subsequent need for Indonesian trafficking research will highly likely be a priority in the eyes of the UNODC. As the February 2009 UNODC/UN Global Initiative to Fight Trafficking Global Report on Human Trafficking indicates, South East Asia is one of the world's hubs for human trafficking and requires continued study. Subsequently, study of Indonesia's trafficking organization would fall into the UNODC's research priorities. However, the UNODC headquarters' leadership has not as of late expressed Indonesia's trafficking to be a priority for immediate operational action. Subsequently, a prediction into new or increased UNODC efforts can not be made since UNODC headquarters' leadership, which controls the trust fund distribution, has not made comments which supports or detracts from Mr. Lewis' plan.

UN Fund & Plan To Fight Trafficking And Aid Victims Established

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon (Source: Reuters)

01 September 2010

Associated Press (United Nations) – The UN established and sought financial and legal aid from the international community for a trust fund, which aids several nations in their efforts to fight human trafficking and give legal, humanitarian, and financial aid to victims, and a plan to study and fight traffickers. The UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, and the General Assembly President, Ali Abdussalam Treki, called on nations, NGOs, and corporations for financial aid for the fund and increased prosecution of traffickers. The fund, run by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, will focus on victim relief and partially on combating traffickers. The UN plan, which also includes the fund, calls for a study and analysis of the current state and patterns of human trafficking.

Source:

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/9/1/apworld/20100901070218&sec=apworld

(Reliability: 9/10)

Comment:  (Source Reliability: The reporting of the Associated Press consistently bias free and highly accurate on details. However, the statement of the Secretary General and General Assembly President are limited with respect to the degree of urgency for donations or present state of UN funds for anti-trafficking efforts. Consequently, an analysis or prediction of the growth of UN efforts is partly limited since no information is available to determine current financial resources available to the UN and its agencies.)

Comment: Efforts which revolve around providing aid to victims, as well as studying trafficking patterns, have been consistent with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) operation since 2000. Research studies have been primarily utilized to develop specific regional trafficking prevention campaigns, law enforcement strategy and policy development (such as the October 2008 Toolkit to Combat Trafficking in Persons), and legal/law enforcement infrastructure development (such as the 2006-2007 training of law enforcement and criminal justice officials in Africa, Eastern Europe, and South East Asia).
   
Analysis: Considering the UNODC is continuing research (most recently, a 2010 study of Baltic governments and their efforts against trafficking) and apply results to government infrastructure and policy development, it is highly likely that the UNODC will utilize new trust fund to continue the decade long strategy. However, the delivery of victim aid is usually done by other UN agencies, such as the UN Refugee Agency, and takes the form of direct distribution or program development for victim support infrastructure. Additionally, the lack of detail in the above article into UNODC priority in victim aid distribution and methodology in implementation make it difficult to predict or analyze development in victim aid distribution.

Sources for Consideration:

http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/prevention.html?ref=menuside

http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/protection.html?ref=menuside

http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/prosecution.html?ref=menuside

http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/publications.html?ref=menuside