In a significant event addressing the critical issues of Human Trafficking and Human Rights, the Geneva Centre for Human Rights Advancement and Global Dialogue, in collaboration with the Permanent Mission of the Sovereign Order of Malta, convened a panel discussion on 30 November 2023 in Geneva.
The panel featured an array of distinguished speakers, each bringing a wealth of expertise and insight to the discussion. These included Prof. Michel Veuthey (Moderator), Ambassador of the Sovereign Order of Malta to monitor and combat trafficking in persons; Mgr. Robert J. Vitillo, Secretary General of ICMC; Claudio Delfabro, Director of the Department of International Refugee Law and Migration Law at the International Institute of Humanitarian Law; Paola Fudakowska, Legal Consultant at TRIAL International; Ena Lucia Mariaca Pacheco, Co-Founder and Global Ambassador of the U.S Council on Violence against Men and Boys; and Alisa Gbiorczyk, Member of the International Survivors of Trafficking Advisory Council (ISTAC) at the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), and Founder of CYBER NITEWATCH.
The panel aimed to provide up-to-date information and shed light on the multifaceted nature of contemporary slavery, encompassing forced labor, human trafficking, child exploitation, and other modern forms of enslavement; challenge misconceptions and stereotypes that obstruct a comprehensive understanding of this global issue, underscoring its prevalence even in developed countries; foster a dialogue for policy reform at local, national, and international levels; and, encourage collaborative efforts among NGOs, governments, businesses, religious groups, and civil society to unite resources and strategies in the fight against contemporary slavery.
Human trafficking involves recruiting, transporting, transferring, harboring, or receiving people for the purpose of exploitation, whether through force, coercion, fraud, or some other form of deception. It is a form of modern-day slavery, a scourge that affects every region of the world.
Human Trafficking is a grave violation of human rights, affecting more than 50 million individuals worldwide. However, since human trafficking is a hidden crime and its definition is challenging, estimating its scale is difficult. A number of the practices associated with human trafficking are prohibited under international human rights law, including slavery, servitude, child sexual exploitation, forced marriage, and enforced prostitution.
Target 8.7 of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals calls for states to take immediate and effective measures to eradicate trafficking, forced labour, and modern slavery.
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Year of publication: 2023