Inter-Parliamentary Union - British Group - PARLIAMENTARY HUMAN TRAFFICKING FORUM 12 FEBRUARY 2008


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Delegation Reports

PARLIAMENTARY HUMAN TRAFFICKING FORUM 12 FEBRUARY 2008

Delegation

Andrew Dismore MP
Anthony Steen MP

The purpose of the forum was to bring together parliamentarians, to discuss and share good practice in the fight against human trafficking and to bring out the major role they can play in the national and international effort. The forum was scheduled to coincide with the conference of the UN Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking.
After the welcoming speakers, we heard from Antonio Maria Costa, Executive Director of UNODC, with a general overview. He saw ratification of the Council of Europe Convention as the beginning of the process to turn commitments into action, focussed around the three key themes, of ‘prevention, prosecution and protection’.
He described the technical assistance available from the UN, the need to strengthen the position of the victim on an international level, and flagged up the Handbook for Parliamentarians, the final version of which is expected to be adopted at the Cape Town IPU General Assembly.
During the afternoon, progress on the handbook and its current draft were explained by Mohamed Mattar, UNODC consultant and John Hopkins professor, in an extremely helpful session. He stressed the need for a more comprehensive approach, embracing victims’ rights to safety, privacy, legal representation, compensation, residency, and to return to their home country. Benefits for victims should not be contingent on co-operation with a prosecution. He rightly believed there were elements in the handbook all countries could and should follow.
The other main morning event was a ‘role play’ introduced by UK actress Emma Thompson, featuring experts and practitioners, to contrast good and bad practices in police investigations and court processes. Her mock trial illustrated the problems trafficked women faced in the justice system and the need for the judiciary and police to better understand their needs and difficulties.
The afternoon session included a presentation by our delegate, Andrew Dismore MP, the IPU 3rd Committee rapporteur on trafficking, based partly on his forthcoming paper, and substantially on his own experience as a UK parliamentarian and Chair of the Joint Committee on Human Rights, in reporting on and pressing for action.
Andrew was able to give a series of practical examples, illustrated by real results, of what parliamentarians can achieve. Andrew was followed by Anthony Steen MP, Chair of the All-Party Group on Trafficking of Women and Children, who fed into the discussion further practical steps and the availability of funding to establish new parliamentary groups within the EU to combat trafficking, in his contribution from the floor.
It is interesting to note that it was our two delegates’ contributions which were the first made by serving parliamentarians.
Both Andrew Dismore and Anthony Steen stayed on for a large part of the UN conference. The High Representatives’ formal speeches were somewhat formulaic, but Home Office minister Vernon Coaker broke the trend by both speaking to time and giving a vivid account of good progress in the UK.
The workshop sessions, were though, very useful, and included a large number of UK contributors.
On law enforcement, the head of the UK Human Trafficking Centre led the session describing the cross-agency network needed to fight trafficking, and a victim centred approach.
Cathy Zimmerman, an academic from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, presented a fascinating paper analysing the health history of trafficking victims, their vulnerability to abuse and the health problems they suffered on rescue. This was part of a wider session which looked at the correct approach to the medical treatment of victims, including mental health, and overcoming the barriers and misunderstandings that can arise to obstruct a successful outcome.
A session on forced labour included contributions from Simon Steyne of the TUC on definitional issues, with presentations from Nepalese Trades Unionists and a Philippines Employers’ Association, on reintegration of victims into the labour market.
Altogether, these two events – by the IPU and UN – brought together a vast number of people for the first genuinely international gathering. But what was clearly apparent, was the vast gulf between those with good practice and those where much remains to be done – or even started.
With human trafficking the third biggest international crime after the drugs and illegal arms trades, it is to be hoped that we all took away good ideas to put into practice to fight modern-day slavery.