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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.
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