Viewpoints and Advocacy

Themes and Issues

Trafficking

ICMC presented a written statement to the 58th session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights urging states to enact legislation criminalizing users and exploiters of persons (particularly increased prosecution of the users of trafficked women and child prostitutes including across national boundaries, standardization of international legal instruments to make it possible and usual, for example, to prosecute nationals for related crimes committed in foreign countries).

ICMC also recommended increased investigation and decisive action by UN agencies, peace keeping operations and international non-governmental organizations against their own staff members who engage in sexual and labor exploitation of migrants, including trafficked persons, especially women and children (January 2002)

ICMC participated in the UNHCR Global Consultations on International Protection process and advocated for provisions on the specific protection needs of trafficked persons in the Agenda for Protection adopted by the UNHCR Executive Committee (October 2002)

ICMC raised awareness about the potential devastating effect of large presence of foreign male military and humanitarian staff in relation to trafficking of women, girls and boys in post-war situations.

ICMC, through its membership in the International Council for Voluntary Agencies (ICVA), submitted comments to the United Nations Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) during its examination of the Draft Guidelines on the Use of Military and Civil Defense Assets to Support United Nations Humanitarian Activities in Complex Emergencies. (October 2002)

ICMC Brussels presented joint comments with Caritas Europa, the Churches Commission for Migrants in Europe, the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Community-Working Group on Migration, Jesuit Refugee Service, and the Quaker Council for European Affairs on a European Council Directive Proposal on short-term residence permits for victims of traffickers (June 2002).

Two trafficking reports from Indonesia

  • "When They Were Sold" - an ICMC - Indonesia, USAID and Solidarity Center report on trafficking women and girls in 15 provinces in Indonesia.
  • "Behind Locked Gates" An Assessment of Trafficking Women and Girls in Papua.
    Report prepared in October 2005 by the ICMC and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

Albania

In May 2003, ICMC/CRMS completed a six-month study of human trafficking in Albania for the International Labor Organization (ILO) in Geneva. The study reviews root causes, pull factors and current trends in trafficking of Albanians, primarily women and children. A national workshop was held in Tirana on 4 April 2003 to introduce the findings of the report to key partners, including national and international NGOs, government ministries and international agencies and donors.

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