Challenge in the Americas:Challenge in the Americas:Trafficking in PersonsTrafficking in Persons

A Presentation to the Special CommitteeA Presentation to the Special Committeeon Fighting Transnational Organizedon Fighting Transnational OrganizedCime in the AmericasCime in the Americas

February 15, 2006February 15, 2006

Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in PersonsPunish Trafficking in Persons

“Trafficking in persons” shall mean the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force, or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power, or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs.

Identifying Crime is linked to finding Identifying Crime is linked to finding VictimsVictims

Victims are generally difficult for officials to identify

Most victims do no self-identifyVictims are usually linked to clandestine

activities:ProstitutionMigrant SmugglingSweatshop and Agricultural labor

Internal and International Human Internal and International Human TraffickingTrafficking

Victims of internal human trafficking or trafficking within the same country

Victims of cross-border or international human trafficking

Mission of the OAS Anti-Trafficking Mission of the OAS Anti-Trafficking in Persons Section: in Persons Section:

Increase awareness and understanding

Help build a Hemispheric consensus

Provide training opportunities

Provide better information on trafficking

Anti-Trafficking Training SeminarsAnti-Trafficking Training Seminars

Argentina November 2004

Belize April 2005

Bolivia 2004-05

Caribbean Countries 2004-05

Mexico 2004-05

Peru April 2005

Ecuador August 2005

Venezuela January 2005

Guatemala September, December 2005

Special OAS ProjectsSpecial OAS Projects

HAITI: Fielding of an OAS advisor with the Haitian Police

JAPAN: Report on trafficking of Latin women from the region to Japan for the commercial sex trade

EUROPE: Coordination with Latin American source countries and Western European destination countries

Countries with Specific Anti-Countries with Specific Anti-Trafficking Laws in ForceTrafficking Laws in Force

Belize

Bolivia

Colombia

Dominican Republic

Guyana

Panama

United States

Countries with a Combination of Countries with a Combination of Effective Criminal LawsEffective Criminal Laws

Brazil

Canada

Costa Rica

Ecuador

El Salvador

Jamaica

Countries with Significant Anti-Countries with Significant Anti-Trafficking Legislation PendingTrafficking Legislation Pending

Argentina

Mexico

Countries with Advanced Police Countries with Advanced Police Capacity on Human TraffickingCapacity on Human Trafficking

Brazil

Canada

Chile

Colombia

El Salvador

Guatemala

Panama

Bilateral Agreements in the OAS Bilateral Agreements in the OAS RegionRegion

Guatemala -- Mexico

Venezuela -- Brazil

Estimates of Victims Annually Estimates of Victims Annually

16,000 – 22,000 victims transported across borders within the Western Hemisphere

9,000 – 12,000 victims transported from the Western Hemisphere to Europe

5,000 – 8,000 victims transported from Europe to the Western Hemisphere

12,500 – 16,500 victims transported from Asia to the Western Hemisphere

RecommendationsRecommendations

Political Leadership:

Place fighting human trafficking on the national agenda

Appoint a senior policy figure to act as a “czar” to coordinate policy

Create a modern legal framework

RecommendationsRecommendations

Law Enforcement:Develop dedicated police, immigration and

prosecutorial unitsFocus on the “easy” cases firstPubilicize high profile prosecutionsWork with NGOs to develop casesFind a strategy to deal with corruption

RecommendationsRecommendations

Social Services and Crime Prevention:

Work with NGOs and encourage their activities

Develop the capacity to identify victims and treat them humanely

Develop the capacity to collect information on human trafficking

RecommendationsRecommendations

Foreign Relations: Develop expertise in foreign affairs ministries Develop ability to exchange information Train consular and diplomatic officials before

sending them abroad Implement transparency in foreign labor,

residency and visa documents Eliminate so-called “Entertainer Visas”

Thank you for your attention.Thank you for your attention.

OAS Website on Human Trafficking

oas.org/atip