In a message for the July 30 World
Day against Trafficking in Persons, UN Secretary-General António Guterres’
encouraged the fight against criminals of human trafficking and help the
victims.
By Robin Gomes
The United Nations chief is urging
all to reaffirm their commitment to stop criminals from ruthlessly exploiting
people for profit and to help victims rebuild their lives.
“Armed conflict, displacement,
climate change, natural disasters and poverty exacerbate the vulnerabilities
and desperation that enable trafficking to flourish,” UN Secretary-General
António Guterres’ noted in a message for the World Day against
Trafficking in Persons, observed on Tuesday.
The annual observance was established
by a UN General Assembly resolution in December 2013, designating its
observance on 30 July each year.The
For this year’s observation, the UN
Office on Drugs and Crime, UNODC, is focusing on highlighting the importance of
government action in the interest of victims of trafficking. But the call
to action is also to everyone.
Pope
Francis
Pope Francis is one among many who
has raised his voice against the scourge on World Day against Trafficking in
Persons on Tuesday.
“Let us pray that the Lord will free
the victims of human trafficking and help us to respond actively to the cry for
help of so many of our brothers and sisters who are deprived of their dignity
and freedom,” the Pope tweeted.
The Holy Father, who attaches
enormous importance to the plight of the millions of trafficked and enslaved
men, women and children, has described the crime as an “atrocious scourge”, an
“aberrant plague” and an “open wound on the body of the contemporary
society”.
72% of
trafficked victims are women and girls
According to UNODC,
72 per cent of detected victims are women and girls, and 30 per cent
are children. The percentage of child victims has more than doubled
from 2004 to 2016.
“Most detected victims,” Guterres
said, “are trafficked for sexual exploitation; victims are also trafficked for
forced labour, recruitment as child soldiers and other forms of exploitation
and abuse.”
He pointed out that traffickers and
terrorist groups prey on the vulnerable, from people in poverty to those caught
up in war or who face discrimination.
In this regard, he said that Nadia
Murad, the first trafficking victim to serve as a United Nations Goodwill
Ambassador, was justly co-awarded the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize for
galvanizing international action to stop trafficking and sexual violence in
conflict.
Migrants
The UN Secretary-General noted that
migrants are particularly the victims of human trafficking. “Thousands of
people have died at sea, in deserts and in detention centres, at the hands of
traffickers and migrant smugglers plying their monstrous, merciless trades.”
Guterres pointed out that abuse and
exploitation take place around us, with countless businesses and enterprises
benefitting from the misery of others in sectors such as food production and
consumer goods.
Despite efforts and actions against
human trafficking, he said, more needs to be done to bring transnational
trafficking networks to justice. He particularly urged that victims are
identified and can access the protection and services they need.
"On this World Day against
Trafficking in Persons, let us reaffirm our commitment to stop criminals from
ruthlessly exploiting people for profit and to help victims rebuild their
lives," Guterres added.
