Reports from International Organizations

United Nations

The following reports set forth the United Nations’ position on trafficking- that it is a human rights violation and States have an obligation to prevent, investigate and punish acts of trafficking as well as ensure that the rights and dignity of trafficking victims are protected.  For a discussion of the international law on trafficking, see Trafficking: Law and Policy.  Further information about the United Nations system is also available in the International Law section of this site.

Integration of the Human Rights of Women and the Gender Perspective - Violence Against Women, Report of the Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, its causes and consequences, Radhika Coommarswamy, on trafficking in women, women’s migration, submitted in accordance with Commission on Human Rights resolution (United Nations E/CN.4/2000/68), 29 February 2000.

Recommended Principles and Guidelines on Human Rights and Human Trafficking, Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, to the Economic and Social Council (United Nations E/2002/68/Add.1), 20 May 2002.  [PDF, 16 pages; Word, 16 pages].

"A World Free of Violence Against Women," Violence Against Women in the World of Work, Janine Rodgers, International Labor Organization (ILO), 8 March 1999.
The International Labor Organization approaches trafficking in women, like other forms of workplace violence, as a human rights issue, a labor issue and a health and safety issue.  This report emphasizes the need for international co-ordination of action to promote the rights and protection of migrant workers and to effectively combat trafficking.

Council of Europe

The following reports address the problem of trafficking in women to Europe and offer recommendations for actions by Council of Europe member Sates to prevent and punish trafficking, through legislation, bilateral agreements, cross-border cooperation and coordination with NGOs.  Within the Council of Europe system, the text of a number of reports on trafficking have been adopted as resolutions by the Committee of Ministers or the Parliamentary Assembly, forming guidelines for member States.  For a discussion of the international obligation to address trafficking in the European region, see Trafficking: Law and Policy.  Further information about the European human rights system is also available in the International Law section of this site.

Violence against women in Europe: Report of the Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men, prepared by Ruth-Gaby Vermot-Mangold, Switzerland, Rapporteur, for the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly, 15 March 2000 (Doc. 8667). 
Sections IIC and IID of this report address domestic slavery and trafficking in women and prostitution as forms of violence against women in
Europe.  Other sections of this report deal with domestic violence, rape and sexual assault.

Campaign Against Trafficking In Women: Report of the Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men, prepared by Lydie Err, Luxembourg, Rapporteur, for the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly, 7 September 2001 (Doc. 9190).

Domestic slavery, Report prepared by John Connor, Ireland, Rapporteur, for the Council of Europe Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men, 17 May 2001 (Doc. 9102).
This report offers information about trafficking of women to
Europe for domestic work.  While trafficking for these purposes involves many of the same human rights violations as trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation, the problem has received much less attention from international organizations, national governments, donors and NGOs.  This report includes an overview of the situation for victims, of available legal instruments and recommendations for further action.

European Union

The following reports define European Union policy on the issue of trafficking in women.  As is the case with the Council of Europe, the European Parliament has adopted a number of recommendations for member States and candidate countries on combating trafficking.  For a discussion of the international obligation to address trafficking in the European region, see Trafficking: Law and Policy.  Further information about the European human rights system is also available in the International Law section of this site.

Report on the communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament 'For further actions in the fight against trafficking in women', prepared by Patsy Sörensen, Rapporteur, Committee on Women's Rights and Equal Opportunities of the European Union, 2 May 2000 (A5-0127/2000). This report calls on the European Union, member States and applicant countries to take specific measures to improve the response to the problem of trafficking and to strengthen existing measures.  The report suggests numerous concrete actions, which NGOs can use to inform specific advocacy strategies.

Crime Assessment: Trafficking of Human Beings into the European Union, EUROPOL, European Union law enforcement organization, 2001.
In 1995, The Europol Convention granted the organization authority to combat trafficking in human beings.  This report takes a prescriptive approach to the problem and includes analysis of the causes of trafficking in human beings, an overview of the dynamics of trafficking and law enforcement initiatives to combat trafficking as well as recommendations to Europol.

Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe

Reference Guide for Anti-Trafficking Legislative Review, Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), September 2001.  [PDF, 114 pages].

Also available in Russian: Руководящие Принципы по Пересмотру Законодательства против Торговли Людьми, [PDF, 151 pages] and in Serbian: Priručnik za Reviziju Zakonske Regulative protiv Trgovine Ljudima, [PDF, 138 pages].
This guide takes a comprehensive view of the types of legislation necessary for an effective anti-trafficking policy.  The guide addresses prevention, prosecution and protection and assistance for victims, providing international standards, examples of national legislation and recommendations for legal initiatives that fall within each broad topic.

Trafficking In Human Beings: Implications for the OSCE, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Review Conference, September 1999, ODIHR Background Paper 1999/3.

Also available in Russian: Проблема контрабанды людей:задачи ОБСЕ.
This report presents the problem of trafficking in the OSCE region, defines OSCE commitments and international standards and provides information on initiatives by the OSCE, other international organizations and by NGOs to combat trafficking.

 

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