Assemblée parlementaire de l'OTAN
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RESOLUTION 323 on TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS

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presented by the Committee on Civil Dimension of Security

The Assembly,

1. Recalling that trafficking in human beings constitutes an intolerable affront to human dignity as well as a threat to stability and security throughout the Euro-Atlantic area;

2. Deeply concerned that the last decade has seen a tremendous increase both in incidents of trafficking in human beings including minors, and in the number of victims, and that organised criminal groups have recourse to ever more sophisticated techniques, increasing financial resources and growing networks;

3. Deeply concerned also that root causes of human trafficking in countries of origin, transit and destination countries, remain insufficiently tackled, in particular causes such as poverty and unemployment; violence against women and children; discrimination based on sex, race and ethnicity; unresolved conflicts and post-conflict situations; government corruption as well as continuing demand for sexual exploitation, cheap and readily exploitable labour, and slavery;

4. WELCOMES the adoption in July 2003 by the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) of an Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings, as well as the entry into force in September 2003 of the UN Convention against Transnational Organised Crime;

5. SUPPORTS the preparation by the Council of Europe of a European Convention against trafficking in human beings as a means of furthering the implementation of the UN supplementary Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children;

6. URGES governments and parliaments of member and partner countries of the North Atlantic Alliance:

a. Legal measures

i. to show a genuine political will to combat traffickers and to make trafficking in human beings a criminal offence, punishable by harsh penalties under national law and to vigorously implement and enforce such law;

ii. to harmonise national legislation and the penalties applicable to trafficking so as to avoid jurisdiction gaps likely to be exploited by traffickers, including in countries of transit, and to facilitate extradition and the application of the principle aut dedere aut iudicare (hand over or try) in all cases concerning trafficking;

iii. to ensure that victims of trafficking are not subject to criminal proceedings as a direct result of their having been trafficked, and that they are granted legal status of victims in the host country to facilitate their rehabilitation and reintegration into society;

b. Protection

i. to take all necessary measures to protect victims and witnesses, including those wishing to testify;

ii. to provide victims of trafficking with the necessary rehabilitation assistance, including accommodation, health care, counselling and vocational training, in the host country and/or in their country of origin, if they return;

iii. to introduce a right to compensation and to provide financial assistance to NGOs that implement protection programmes and initiatives for victims of trafficking;

c. Prevention

i. to establish agreements between destination countries, transit countries and the countries of origin of victims which should cover legal and police co-operation as well as humanitarian aspects of this problem, including information campaigns to generate public and media awareness about trafficking in its various forms;

ii. to encourage interaction and the exchange of information on the various aspects of trafficking in human beings among relevant actors at the regional and international level, including with the private sector, NGOs, the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe task force on trafficking in human beings, and international law enforcement bodies such as EUROPOL and INTERPOL;

iii. to adopt effective measures to tackle the root causes of trafficking in the countries of origin, including through conflict prevention, development assistance, socio-economic co-operation, trade expansion and the creation of employment opportunities; and

iv. to train their government officials who will serve overseas in source, transit or destination countries, including peacekeeping forces, to understand and identify human trafficking situations.
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