No country safe from human trafficking: UN - Pakistan - DAWN.COM

ISLAMABAD: The United Nations says there is no place in the world where children, women and men are safe from human trafficking.

According to the ‘2014 Global Report on Trafficking in Persons’, there are at least 152 countries (of origin) and 124 countries (of destination) affected by trafficking in persons, and over 510 trafficking flows criss-crossing the world.

Released by the UN Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the report says that one in three known victims of human trafficking is a child – a five per cent increase compared to the 2007-2010 period. Girls make up two out of three child victims, and together with women, account for 70 per cent of overall victims worldwide.

Read more

No country safe from human trafficking: UN - Pakistan - DAWN.COM:

Related articles

• 16 Bangladeshi, Myanmar human traffickers sued
• Choose to see

U.N. Report Shows an Increase in Child Trafficking - NYTimes.com

One in three human trafficking victims is a child, most victims are female, and traffickers operate with wide impunity, the United Nations said Monday in a report on modern-day slavery.

The 2014 Global Report on Trafficking in Persons, produced by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, also found that the proportion of children among victims appeared to be rising. Its first report, in 2012, said the proportion had been closer to one in four.Read more

U.N. Report Shows an Increase in Child Trafficking - NYTimes.com:

Related articles

• UNODC tasks agencies on policies to check trafficking in persons

Lack of clear definitions on human trafficking in South Asia is hurting victims | WNN – Women News Network

Source:| WNN – Women News Network:

(WNN/IRIN) Jakarta, INDONESIA, SOUTHEAST ASIA: A 2012 UNODC – UN Office on Drugs and Crime report on human trafficking recorded more than 10,000 cases of trafficking in persons in South Asia, East Asia and the Pacific between 2007-2010, but it is unclear what the situation is today. Tens of thousands of people are vulnerable to being trafficked in Southeast Asia, with governments struggling to understand and respond collectively to the problem, say experts and government officials.

Continue:
http://womennewsnetwork.net/2013/05/07/definition-on-human-trafficking-south-asia/

Related articles

• Southeast Asia’s human trafficking conundrum

Mira Sorvino, CNN child-sex series ‘shameful’ for Cambodians | Asian Correspondent

Source:  Asian Correspondent


WHEN U.S. actress Mira Sorvino came to Cambodia last week, a series of stories were released on “ending modern-day slavery.”  Sorvino accompanied the CNN Freedom Project, having experience as United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Goodwill Ambassador Against Human 
Trafficking to assist the project and keep a journal.

Continue:
http://asiancorrespondent.com/117471/mira-sorvino-cnn-child-sex-series-shameful-for-cambodians/

Related articles

• Mira Sorvino: The mothers were desperate
• How students in Cambodia take up the fight against trafficking
• Mira Sorvino inside a Cambodian brothel

Human trafficking crackdown praiseworthy, but more remains to be done - OP-ED - Globaltimes.cn

Source:  OP-ED - Globaltimes.cn
 
 During an interactive dialogue on human trafficking organized by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and the Group of Friends United against Human Trafficking in 2012, the International Labor Organization estimated that at any given time, about 2.4 million people are exploited as a result of human trafficking globally.

At present, human trafficking in China is taking on new characteristics, including organized crime networks, more violent means and expansion to more areas.

Continue here:
 http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/822452.shtml#.UoOcsCeKK31

INTERNATIONAL - No one innocent in human trafficking, UN official says

Source: Hürriyet Daily News

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/no-one-innocent-in-human-trafficking-un-official-says.aspx?pageID=238&nID=50022&NewsCatID=359

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime says almost every country in the world is complicit in human trafficking, urging them to fight against it

A man is escorted by Spanish and Italian security forces to an unmarked police car after being arrested in a flat. REUTERS Photo

Almost every country in the world is complicit in human trafficking, as each one is an origin, transit or destination country for the trade, the executive director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Yury Fedotov, has said, adding that the victims of the crime are being exploited in almost every part of the world.

“We are often talking about vulnerable people tricked and coerced into being trafficked and then cruelly exploited. Almost every country in the world is an origin, transit or destination country for human trafficking,” Fedotov told the Hürriyet Daily News in a telephone interview. 

He noted that human trafficking was a global crime producing estimated yearly profits of around $32 billion dollars, each one of those criminal dollars is earned from the misery and suffering of victims. According to the UNODC’s Global Report on Trafficking in Persons 2012, women account for around 60 percent of all trafficking victims detected globally by the authorities. “Our report found victims from 136 different nationalities in 118 countries. We also identified at least 460 different trafficking flows for the victims globally,” Fedotov added.

“Based on the findings of our report, however, I can say there are significant regional variations. The share of detected child victims, for example, is 68 percent in Africa and the Middle East, and 39 percent in South Asia, East Asia and the Pacific; that proportion diminishes to 27 percent in the Americas and 16 percent in Europe and Central Asia,” he said.

Fedotov underlined that many countries may had difficulties in confronting human trafficking. “They may, for instance, lack the law enforcement capacity or need additional support in the area of criminal justice,” he said. Noting that helping to build capacities and offering technical support to these countries was part of U.N.’s work, he said that they could not afford to exclude countries. If countries are excluded the system was at risk of a two-speed approach in which “human trafficking declines in some countries, and possibly grows in those countries that are blacklisted and possibly ignored. If we did this, we would be offering the traffickers the potential to simply cross borders to evade punishment.” 

‘Turkey a transit route’

However, Fedotov heralded some good news, as the number of countries criminalizing human trafficking increased from 78 to 95 percent of the total considered in the report between 2008 and 2012. “The improvements are encouraging, but they are coming too slowly to help the millions of victims. A catalyst is needed. We need an inspirational, but totally realistic goal: a decade of concrete action to try to end human trafficking. Action built on cooperation and coordination,” he said.

There is a roadmap for the international community. A global plan of action was agreed in 2010 and the UNODC is working with its partners and the international community to implement this plan throughout the world.

When the executive-director was asked how they label Turkey on the issue, Fedotov said Turkey is a transit route for human trafficking along the so-called Mediterranean route for trafficking, but it is also a destination for victims.

“I should also point out that the Turkish government has vigorously sought to prosecute traffickers and has introduced legislation that outlaws this crime,” he said.

“Although it concerned migrant smuggling and not human trafficking, I would like to commend Turkey on its work earlier this year, in early February, when the Istanbul police force worked with law enforcement agencies from other countries to break up an international migrant smuggling operation. 

It was a very good example of how international cooperation and information sharing supports local police work.” 

July/05/2013

Related articles

• OSCE report links human trafficking and torture
• Launching the Global Human Trafficking Hotline Network - YouTube
• IPS - Brazil Lagging in Fight against Human Trafficking | Inter Press Service
• Shelter for male victims of human trafficking set to open - The National
• Human traffickers forcing girls into nail bars and massage parlours on streets of Wales

UN Tourism and Crime bodies to call on tourists to play a role in reducing illicit trafficking

http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/press/releases/2013/April/un-tourism-and-crime-bodies-to-call-on-tourists-to-play-a-role-in-reducing-illicit-trafficking.html

Source: UNODC

Madrid, 5 April 2013 - In the presence of the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) today agreed to launch a new public awareness campaign calling on tourists to help reduce demand for illicit goods and services linked to transnational organized crime.

Preparations for the campaign were set in motion during the Spring Meeting of the Chief Executive Board of the United Nations in Madrid. A Cooperation Agreement was signed between UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, and UNODC Executive Director, Yury Fedotov in the presence of United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon.

The joint campaign, to be launched later this year, aims to raise awareness among international tourists about the types of illicit goods and services to which they are often exposed during their travels and which directly or indirectly fund organized crime groups. Travellers can play a key role in reducing demand for these products through ethical consumer choices. The campaign will encourage tourists to make informed decisions and help reduce demand for trafficking in persons, cultural artefacts, wildlife, fauna and flora such as ivory products, as well as counterfeit goods, and illicit drugs.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon commended this innovative joint initiative between the two partner UN Agencies: "The illegal trade in goods and services often funds unscrupulous people involved in human trafficking, the illicit ivory trade and other areas that cause immense suffering and destruction. Well-informed tourists can make a real difference in turning the tide against these criminal acts."

Organized criminal networks generate money wherever there is demand and travellers are often exposed to objects which are illicitly sold. With more than 1 billion tourists now crossing international borders each year, there is a growing opportunity to call on tourists to act and reduce demand for these illicit products which in many cases are providing a funding source for organized crime. The campaign drives the message that while some products may seem harmless, the demand created and their sale can, in fact, have devastating effects on the lives of innocent people, on wildlife or on cultural property. The billions of dollars generated through such trade also fund criminal groups who use this money to branch out into other illicit and unethical lines of business.

"Although the infrastructure of tourism - from accommodation establishments to transportation networks - can be misused by traffickers to victimize the vulnerable, tourism has the potential and is firmly committed to reclaim this same infrastructure and use it in the fight against trafficking" said UNWTO's Secretary-General Taleb Rifai. "Through coordinated efforts, we can ensure that awareness travels - that tourism authorities, travel companies and tourists join us on this fight" he added.

According to the Executive Director of UNODC, Yury Fedotov: "This new awareness-raising campaign will help build awareness about organized crime and the devastating effect it has on people and communities worldwide. Tourists are often exposed to the traffickers of human beings and unethical products. By making informed choices, tourists can help sever the financial arteries that fuel these forms of illicit trade".

The campaign will seek to engage the tourism industry including hotel chains, travel agencies and airlines to lend support in raising awareness among tourists and help contribute to limiting these illicit markets.

The initiative supplements UNWTO's Global Code of Ethics for Tourism. The Code calls upon tourists to behave in a responsible and respectful manner towards the visited destination, urging them not to commit any criminal acts and to refrain from all trafficking in illicit drugs, arms, antiques, protected species, products and substances that are dangerous or prohibited by national regulations.
 
Relevant links:
UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism
United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime
UNODC campaign against transnational organized crime

Thai and Cambodia police work on more effective anti-human trafficking cooperation

http://www.unodc.org/southeastasiaandpacific/en/2013/04/human-trafficking/story.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

 Source: UNODC



Bangkok (Thailand), 1 April 2013 - Cambodia and Thai law enforcement representatives took another step towards greater police-to-police cooperation to combat human trafficking as Cambodian and Thai law enforcement and prosecutors met recently at a UNODC-facilitated workshop.

Attendees -- including prosecutors from both countries and representatives from Thailand's Royal Thai Police (RTP) and Department of Special Investigation (DSI) and the Cambodian National Police (CNP) - met for the second time since August 2012 to build on established networks and to strengthen inter-country cooperation to fight human trafficking more effectively.



"Our presence at this UNODC-coordinated forum, signifies our progress to foster and enhance bilateral cooperation so we can eliminate trafficking in persons, especially in women and children," said Pol. Maj. Gen. Pol Piethey, Director of the Anti-Human Trafficking and Juvenile Protection Department, Commissariat General of Cambodian National Police.

Besides sharing active human trafficking cases, participants engaged in an exercise that let them collaboratively discuss a hypothetical yet realistic human trafficking case involving law enforcement agencies of Cambodia and Thailand. Participants spoke openly about their expectations for each other and their own practical limitations, and demonstrated a clear and strong commitment to cooperate effectively across borders.



"Thailand and Cambodia are committed to combat human trafficking together," said Police General Chatchawal Suksomjit, Advisor, Royal Thai Police. "More police-to-police liaison will forge stronger relations and improve communication and intelligence sharing channels to stop human trafficking activity."

This workshop on the Thai-Cambodian anti-human trafficking units was made possible through the generous support of the Government of the United States of

Popular TV drama delivers human trafficking message in Colombia

Popular TV drama delivers human trafficking message in Colombia:


In Colombia, the UNODC office has been working over the past two years with the TV production company CMO and the TV station Caracol to bring the often disturbing reality of human trafficking to life through a drama series. 'La Promesa', or 'The Promise' in English.

Related articles

• Margaret Howard: Organize to Scrutinize Your Local Sex Trafficking Laws
• Editorial: Another way to stop human trafficking
• Honouring Corporate Creativity and Courage in the Fight against Human Trafficking
• VS. Confronting Modern Slavery in America
• Firms could be implicated in human trafficking cases
• Human trafficking involves more than prostitution | The Columbus Dispatch

Honouring Corporate Creativity and Courage in the Fight against Human Trafficking

http://www.ungift.org/knowledgehub/en/stories/January2013/honouring-corporate-creativity-and-courage-in-the-fight-against-human-trafficking.html

Source: UN.Gift

( UNODC) - During the closing ceremony of the World Economic Forum last week in Davos, Switzerland, Tristan Forster - CEO of the ethical recruitment and management company FSI Worldwide - was awarded the Business Leaders Award to Fight Human Trafficking. The Award merits private sector individuals who show leadership in finding creative and sustainable solutions to combat modern slavery across the globe.

Mr Tristan Forster accepts the 2013 Business Leaders Award to Fight Human Trafficking

Human trafficking affects virtually every country in the world. According to the latest UNODC Global Report on Human Trafficking, victims from 136 different nationalities have been found in 118 destination countries, and there are at least 460 distinct trafficking flows crossing all continents and every region. Human trafficking is also big business for organized crime groups, with estimates running in the billions of dollars annually.

Despite these economic realities, the dominant approach to combating human trafficking has been to rely almost exclusively on Governments and civil society organizations, and little has been asked of the private sector. "For all our efforts, for all our hard work, we must also acknowledge that we cannot confront human trafficking alone" said UNODC Executive Director Yury Fedotov at the Award ceremony. Human trafficking demands a joint response from all sectors of society, including the private sector.

The Award Jury unanimously selected Tristan Forster for establishing and leading a recruitment and manpower company promoting ethical labour supply. FSI Worldwide's work centers around demonstrating to employers that an ethically recruited and managed workforce is significantly more efficient and effective than one made up of bonded, demoralized and exploited workers. All recruits are selected on merit, and the company has provided an umbrella of employment protection for over 2,000 recruits. The company currently operates in Nepal, Kenya, India, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom, providing ethically sourced manpower to sectors with high-risk of human trafficking and bonded labour, such as security, oil and gas, hospitality, retail and construction.

FSI Worldwide is also engaged with partners in Government, academia, the private sector and civil society to develop best practices in "third country national" recruitment and to help eradicate the threat of human trafficking and exploitation among the world's poorest and most vulnerable people.

"The Award highlights the excellent work being done by private sector companies in addressing this global challenge" said Mr. Fedotov. "I hope that the achievements, so clearly evident today, will encourage other business leaders to come forward and to add their own creativity and insight to the fight against human trafficking."

The Business Leaders Award to Fight Human Trafficking is a good practice award launched in 2008 at the regional meeting of the World Economic Forum in Luxor, Egypt. It is designed to spur private sector action by recognizing the work of executives engaged in combating human trafficking and to serve as an incentive for greater innovation to combat this crime. The Award is jointly led by End Human Trafficking Now, the United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UN.GIFT), the United Nations Global Compact and UNODC.

Related articles

• SumAll Offers Its Data Analytics Capabilities To Help Shed More Light on Human Trafficking - PR Newswire - The Sacramento Bee
• New Report Helps Companies Meet and Exceed Requirements to Eliminate Human Trafficking from Supply Chains | ATEST

India: Bringing the curtain down on human trafficking

http://www.ungift.org/knowledgehub/en/stories/july2012/india_-bringing-the-curtain-down-on-human-trafficking.html

Souce: UNGIFT

(UNODC) - A young boy pretends to fall in love with a school girl. He tells her that he will marry her and asks her to run away with him. The girl, madly in love does what is asked of her. The boy takes her to a nearby village and sells her.Meenu is trafficked at the age of five. She is forced to sleep with up to 20 men a day and by the age of twelve she is pregnant. She is ill treated by her clients and after years of exploitation, she is now in a state of psychotic depression.

These are stories from villages in West Bengal where numerous girls are trafficked daily. According to a news report 1, in the last one year 14,000 adults and children have disappeared from West Bengal - most of them believed to have been swallowed up by the human trafficking trade.

UNODC met with Ms Suravi Sarkar, Project Coordinator, Banglanatak.com. Ms Sarkar uses theatre as an instrument to spread awareness on important issues relating to rights and entitlement, health, safety and environment. In an interview, she shares her experiences on human trafficking while working with vulnerable communities around the Indo-Bangladesh border.

1. How does Banglanatak.com use theatre to educate communities?

We believe that theatre is a powerful tool. We use theatre based activities to sensitize all stakeholders including community workers, anganwadi workers (child care workers), panchayati raj institutions (village council) etc. Unemployment, poverty and lack of awareness make communities vulnerable to trafficking. We begin by identifying a vulnerable community and perform a base line study on the problems, myths and misconceptions in the community. Based on this study we produce a play that highlights the problem and suggests ways out of it. We also lead the audience to helpline numbers and other resources that can help them through these problems.The play features an ignorant person who is caught in the problem and an informed hero who brings about change. We try and keep the number of characters to a minimum and within a span of 15-20 minutes the message is conveyed clearly to the audience.After the play, we organize a quiz to assess how the community has grasped the message of the play. Those who give correct answers are given prizes.We then select a small group of enthusiastic members of the village and organize a discussion. The group discusses the issue in depth and tries to build a support system in the village.

2. What makes communities vulnerable to human trafficking?

There is a common misconception that only economically backward communities are vulnerable to human trafficking, but that is not the case. Everyone is vulnerable. The need and desire for a better life makes one vulnerable to human trafficking. Numerous uneducated and unaware people become ease prey for traffickers.

Apart from ignorance and illiteracy, I feel that there are two more reasons that make certain communities vulnerable to human trafficking. Firstly, many villages are poorly connected to the outside world. They hardly have motorable roads and phone lines are few and far between. Therefore, once they realize that their daughter has been trafficked, they don't know whom to turn to for help. The local Panchayats are not equipped to offer help and the local police station can be up to 30 km away. The family is unable to find help and support and thus resigns itself to the circumstances.

Secondly, village life has very little to offer by way of entertainment and education. Young girls feel restricted by strict social norms in the village. In order to escape they get involved with men, who in many cases turn out to be traffickers.

A mapping of villages in West Bengal was conducted and a few communities have been identified as vulnerable to human trafficking. For example: We identified vulnerable blocks in four districts in West Bengal, two in Jharkhand and two in Bihar. Blocks in Malda, Nadia, Murshidabad, North and South 24 Parganas have been identified as source points and sometimes transit points for victims coming from Bangladesh.

3. What is the role of the family in putting a stop to human trafficking?

In my experience there have been very few cases where girls were taken by force or abducted by traffickers. In the first stage of trafficking, the family is always involved - they either introduce them to the traffickers or openly sell their daughters to 'agents'. Therefore, families need to be sensitized and made aware of what their child goes through once she is sold to a trafficker.

Families also play a huge role in a victim's life during rehabilitation. In many cases, families don't accept the girl back and treat her like an outcast. Even if some families accept the victim back, the larger community boycotts the family. The family then finds it difficult to live in the village.

I feel that at present rehabilitation and re-integration of the victim into society is very difficult and it is only possible if the family and community step up and offer support.

Banglanatak.com is a social enterprise that uses theatre to educate people on social issues and promotes community led action. Their campaigns have covered more than 100,000 villages across 23 states of India.

Related articles

• Poverty one of the biggest obstacles in PHL's fight vs. human trafficking | GMA News Online | The Go-To Site for Filipinos Everywhere (trafficking-monitor.blogspot.com)
• Federal judge dismisses largest US human trafficking case (jurist.org)
• Committee acts to stop contractors from enabling human trafficking (trafficking-monitor.blogspot.com)
• Top federal prosecutors warn of human trafficking (trafficking-monitor.blogspot.com)

Portugal joins Blue Heart campaign against human trafficking

http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/frontpage/2012/April/portugal-joins-blue-heart-campaign-against-human-trafficking.html?ref=fs1

Source: UNDOC

16 April 2012 - Portugal is the latest European country to join the Blue Heart Campaign against Human Trafficking. At any given time, an estimated 140,000 victims of human trafficking are trapped in this vicious cycle of violence, abuse and degradation across Europe. UNODC research shows that victims are often duped by a recruiter who is a relative, a supposed friend or someone they trust.

One third of victims come from the Balkans (32 percent), 19 percent from the former Soviet Union, 13 percent from South America, 7 per cent from Central Europe, 5 per cent from Africa and 3 per cent from East Asia. Victims from South America tend to be concentrated in several European countries, including Portugal. Due to its geographic location, Portugal is both a destination and transit country for victims of human trafficking.

The Blue Heart campaign was launched in Portugal by Ms. Teresa Morais, Secretary of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Equality, Mr. Manuel Albano, Portuguese National Rapporteur for Human Trafficking and Mr. Pierre Lapaque, Chief of the UNODC Organized Crime Unit. The campaign aims to raise awareness about human trafficking amongst decision makers, civil society, the media and the general public in order to garner support for combating this crime.

"I hope to see this Blue Heart symbolizing active solidarity with victims around the world spreading ever wider" said Teresa Morais. "Launching the Blue Heart campaign in Portugal is part of our national plan to combat human trafficking - being a global campaign, it allows us to extend the reach of our prevention work" said Manuel Albano.

Human trafficking is a serious form of organized crime, touching all countries. "In Europe, one person is trafficked every eight minutes for the purposes of sexual exploitation. Trafficking in persons is one of the most lucrative illicit businesses in Europe", said Pierre Lapaque. Criminal groups are estimated to earn around €2.5 billion annually through sexual exploitation of victims. Prosecutions, however, still remain relatively low, compared to the number of victims.

According to UNODC, sexual exploitation is by far the most commonly identified form of human trafficking (79 per cent). However, this may be due to the fact that this crime tends to be more visible and more frequently reported. In comparison, almost one fifth (18 per cent) of human trafficking is for forced labour, which is likely to be under-reported, as victims often work in hidden locations.

"We must be extra-vigilant and prevent vulnerable people from falling prey to criminals. We must invest in appropriate support mechanisms for victims and provide an effective law enforcement response to punish those who exploit others", said Pierre Lapaque. UNODC works closely with governments, international organizations and civil society to counter organized crime.

Related Information:

UNODC and human trafficking

Blue Heart Campaign against Human Trafficking

United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund for Victims of Human Trafficking

Related Stories
• General Assembly President calls for redoubling of efforts to end human trafficking
• United Nations-private sector partnership crucial in meeting MDGs
• Senior UNODC and OSCE staff review past activities, plan for the future

Related Video
• Ways and Means — countering smuggling of migrants
• Mexico launches national campaign against human trafficking (Español)
• Mexico takes lead in launching national campaign against human trafficking

Related Audio
• Interview with UNICEF on Day against Child Labour
• Interview on trafficking in persons in Asia

Related Publications
• Psychosocial care for women in shelter homes
• Prevent. Combat. Protect – Human Trafficking – Joint UN Commentary
• Legal and Policy Review: Responses to Human Trafficking in Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka

Project Childhood introduced to Lao PDR

http://www.unodc.org/eastasiaandpacific/en/2012/01/childhood-lao-pdr/story.html

A criminal justice response to child sex tourism

 

Vientiane (the Lao People's Democratic Republic), 11 January 2012 - As children continue to be trafficked, enslaved, and sexually exploited in the Greater Mekong Sub-region, law enforcement responses against travelling child sex offenders must become an ever more important element in halting and reversing this trend. 

Such responses include intelligence-led investigations, victim identification, detection, and prosecution of the perpetrators of these crimes as well as the protection, rescue and rehabilitation of young victims. 

Project Childhood is a $7.5 million Australian AID (AusAID)-funded initiative to combat the sexual exploitation of children - mainly in the travel and tourism sectors - in the Greater Mekong sub-region. The project focuses on Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Viet Nam and builds on Australia's long-term support for programs that better protect children and prevent their abuse. It is being implemented on the ground by UNODC, INTERPOL, and World Vision in two complementary pillars - the Protection Pillar (UNODC/Interpol) and the Prevention Pillar (World Vision). 

Project Childhood was recently introduced in Lao PDR through a workshop in the capital Vientiane. The 80 participants to the "Workshop on Anti Human Trafficking: Universal Periodic Review Recommendations and Combating Child Sex Tourism" included representatives from Lao PDR government ministries, the international community, international and national governmental organisations and the media. 

The Protection Pillar, being implemented by UNODC, in partnership with INTERPOL, will strengthen the capacity of local law enforcement to identify, arrest and prosecute travelling child sex offenders in the four countries named through a package of capacity building activities to Governments and their law enforcement agencies. UNODC is currently designing and implementing activities for technical assistance to fill gaps in legislation, training, and cooperation mechanisms These include ensuring that domestic legislation meets international standards, and that police officers are trained and equipped to investigate the abuse of children by child sex offenders. INTERPOL, for its part, will focus on pooling resources for operations that will combine international and regional investigative resources to target travelling child sex offenders. 

At the launch event, Ms. Margaret Akullo, the Project Coordinator for Project Childhood (Protection Pillar), emphasized that the Protection Pillar will significantly expand the intelligence base on the closed community of travelling sex offenders to more effectively prosecute suspects who seek to sexually abuse children. UNODC will provide assistance to the four countries in SE Asia to facilitate ratification and implementation of the relevant international legal instruments. INTERPOL will give operational criminal police support and advanced technological tools to strengthen international criminal police cooperation. 

"UNODC's partnership with INTERPOL is fundamental to Project Childhood's technical assistance activities for police, prosecutors and judges," Ms. Akullo said. "We will use our combined mandates and strengths to actively combat child sex tourism by training law enforcement officials on international best practice and with targeted operations of criminals". 

The Prevention Pillar will be implemented by World Vision and will strengthen the protective environment for children in travel and tourism - including building community awareness and resilience to sexual exploitation of children. It will focus on awareness raising campaigns for the travelling public on child safe tourism, support child helplines, and conduct community-based awareness-raising and training for children and families in vulnerable communities prone to child sexual exploitation. It will also work with the private sector and governments to develop effective national preventative measures against sexual exploitation of children in the travel and tourism sectors. 

Project Childhood countries were selected on the basis of a number of factors such as: the volume of reported arrests of alleged travelling child sex offenders; a perceived lack of institutional and legislative capacity to counter the crime, and the degree of participating Government willingness to engage with the international community to take effective action. Protection Pillar activities have already begun in Cambodia and Thailand and will extend to cover Lao PDR and Viet Nam in early 2012. 

The workshop was also supported by theUNDP International Law Project in collaboration with Project Childhood (Protection Pillar). UNODC and INTERPOL Project Coordinators and a World Vision representative presented an overview of their partnership and how each Pillar will deliver Project Childhood activities over the next three years to address the abuse of children by travelling child sex offenders. 

A key workshop objective was to present findings from a UNODC legal review that examined current domestic legislative frameworks in Lao PDR as they apply to travelling child sex offenders. The report, an important Protection Pillar activity, determined whether Lao PDR law and legislative frameworks met international standards and obligations and addressed key issues such as child prostitution, sexual abuse of children, child pornography, child trafficking, child protection measures and International cooperation. 

Ms. Viengvong Kittavong, Acting Director of the Treaties and Law Department of the Lao PDR Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Chair of the event, welcomed the findings of UNODC's legal review. Ms. Kittavong recommended that a national focal point in Lao PDR be identified to work through the legal recommendations with the Protection Pillar team.