Human Trafficking Programme

ICCLR has worked on the issue of human trafficking for many years.  The Centre’s most recent anti-human trafficking initiatives include:

  • From 2009 to 2010, ICCLR explored best practices to help combat human trafficking in Canada. This best practices report, in English and French, recommends ways to help Canada prevent vulnerable populations from being victimized by traffickers and help protect existing victims. The project was commissioned by the Government of Manitoba on behalf of the Federal-Provincial-Territorial (FPT) Forum of Senior Officials responsible for the Status of Women. This report is also available on the Government of Manitoba’s Website.
  • In 2008, ICCLR made a presentation in Hanoi, Vietnam on Improving the Criminal Law for a More Effective Fight against Human Trafficking in Vietnam, at a National Workshop on the Improvement of Criminal Laws for an Increased Response to Trafficking in Persons.  This workshop was for the Coordinated Mekong Ministerial Initiative against Trafficking (COMMIT), the Vietnam Task Force and Vietnamese Ministry of Justice.
  • In 2007 and 2006, ICCLR was invited to testify before the Standing Committee on Status of Women in 2006 and 2007.
  • In 2005-2006, ICCLR assisted UNODC in drafting the Toolkit to Combat Trafficking in Persons, which was published and released by the UNODC’s Global Programme Against Trafficking in Human Beings in 2006
  • In 2004-2005, ICCLR drafted an anti-trafficking handbook for law enforcement officials for UNODC’s Anti-Trafficking Unit.
  • Also in 2005, ICCLR co-organized a regional conference on human trafficking in British Columbia, followed up by numerous meetings and events to mobilize local agencies and develop interagency cooperation protocols.  These activities were supported by a consultation document prepared by ICCLR, Towards a Regional Strategy against Human Trafficking.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, was adopted by UN General Assembly resolution 55/25 on November 15, 2000.  The protocol entered into force December 25, 2003.  It was the first globally legally binding instrument with an agreed upon definition of “trafficking in persons” and sought to facilitate convergence in national approaches with regard to the establishment of domestic criminal offences that would support efficient international cooperation in investigating and prosecuting trafficking in persons.  Although to date more than 118 states are parties to the Protocol, implementing it remains a challenge.

“Trafficking in persons” means “the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring 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 labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs.”

- Article 3, UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime

In March 2007, UNODC launched a Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (“UN GIFT”).  Its objectives are to:

  • raise awareness and foster commitment to adopt and implement policies to counter trafficking in persons;
  • increase the knowledge base about human trafficking;
  • build and strengthen greater commitment to existing partnerships with governments, the international community, NGO’s, the private sector, civil society organizations and the media;
  • mobilize resources to support action; and
  • implement projects to fight human trafficking on a local, regional and international level.