REMARKS OF DIRECTOR-GENERAL TO "TRIPARTITE PLUS PROCESS" TARGET-ORIENTED MEETING ON TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS

13 February 2003



The following address, titled "Trafficking in Human Beings -- Addressing the Challenge in the Field", was given at 9:30 a.m. today in Room IX of the Palais des Nations by Sergei Ordzhonikidze, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, at the opening of the "Tripartite Plus Process" Target-Oriented Meeting on Trafficking in Human Beings:
"It is a privilege to welcome you all to the Palais des Nations for this year's target-oriented meeting of the "Tripartite Plus Process". As you know, our process of informal consultations between regional arrangements in Europe celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. And it is a sign of the vitality and value of the process that – as we mark the first decade of consultations – we can welcome several new participants at our expert level meetings: namely, representatives of the Council of the European Union, the Commonwealth of Independent States, the International Labour Organization, the Stability Pact for South-Eastern Europe, the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime, and the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute. The wide range of participants here will ensure that we can address the issues on the agenda in a comprehensive manner, and frame better solutions to the challenges that we face.
"Ladies and Gentlemen:
"Our Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, has described trafficking in human beings as "one of the gravest human rights violations of our time". Trafficking in people for sexual exploitation, forced labour, forced marriage and forced adoption is also the world's fastest growing criminal business. It has dangerous links to trafficking in drugs and arms, to money laundering and to terrorism. Trafficking in human beings, therefore, also has acute security implications. In a recent assessment, EUROPOL predicts a rise in the flow of potential victims. At the same time, demand for trafficking victims continues to expand, while law enforcement mechanisms to counter trafficking remain inadequate. This ensures high profitability, efficiency and security in operations for traffickers.
"No region is immune. No country – and no international organization – acting alone can put an end to trafficking in human beings. A coordinated approach that integrates migration policy issues, judicial cooperation, law enforcement, and human rights concerns, while at the same time being sensitive to the extreme vulnerability of the victims, is needed to fight this crime. It is, therefore, imperative that international legal instruments are strengthened. As a first – and highly necessary – step towards reinforcing the legal base of the fight against human trafficking, states need to sign, ratify and implement the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, which supplements the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime.
"While all organizations agree that human trafficking is increasing, it is not possible to assess accurately the extent of the problem. The majority of people who are trafficked are, unfortunately, never detected. Victims are most often unable to speak out, even if they are able to escape. The low visibility can lead to low priority. Today's discussions aim at ensuring that this does not happen. To that end, we should pool our experiences and expertise in this area to reinforce the fight against human trafficking.
"Dear Colleagues:
"This forum is indeed very appropriate for considering how to address the challenge in the field. Research shows that human trafficking is particularly rife in post-conflict areas – whether it is as countries of origin, transit or destination, or as a combination of all three. And these are exactly the areas where many of our organizations are deployed. We are confronted with the problem on a daily basis. We have gathered significant information about demand and supply chains and about the networks that organize and facilitate trafficking. We have experienced the difficulties encountered by law enforcement agencies and judicial authorities in apprehending traffickers and successfully bringing them to justice. We have witnessed the urgent need for cooperation mechanisms between source, transit and destination countries. We need to exchange this critical experience and build on our collective knowledge.
"An important aspect of your discussions today will focus on codes of conduct for international and local staff. This is a highly sensitive – and often divisive – issue. There are examples where international organizations – quite understandably – are reluctant to acknowledge that staff working under their auspices could be involved in these abhorrent practices. But, the delicate nature of the issue only makes it more pressing, and we must not shy away from confronting it. Only by recognizing the potential – and often the very real – problems in this respect can we ensure that the contribution of international bodies becomes more effective and thus also an important part of the solution.
"In this context, I am happy to note that major United Nations peacekeeping missions today include a gender adviser who can help raise awareness of the gender dimension. This new instrument will boost the United Nations' efforts to address this repulsive trade.
"I trust that you will have rewarding and stimulating discussions throughout the day that will add to our joint endeavour to tackle the ever-growing problem of trafficking in human beings. I look forward to the presentation of the summary of your deliberations at the high-level segment of this Tripartite Meeting."



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