Launch of the ICAT Second Policy Paper: Preventing Trafficking in Persons by Addressing Demand

Vienna

The paper Preventing Trafficking in Persons by Addressing Demand (the "Demand paper") provides guidance to organizations and practitioners by mapping out the dimensions of demand as it relates specifically to trafficking in persons for labour exploitation, as well as by highlighting strategies that can be used to address it.

The paper examines six main strategies for addressing demand in a trafficking in persons context, which are further detailed with concrete steps to effectively reduce demand:

  • Criminal justice responses to trafficking in persons for labour exploitation;
  • Strengthening labour standards and improving implementation;
  • Reducing exploitative labour practices in the migration process;
  • Action by the private sector to address exploitation in supply chains;
  • Consumer action against products made by victims of trafficking for labour exploitation; and
  • Addressing social norms as a contributing factor to exploitative labour practices.

The paper is the second in a series of ICAT policy papers, which examine key issues that have been identified and agreed by ICAT member organizations as a critical challenge for the international community to address in order to succeed in the fight against trafficking in persons. An overview paper published by ICAT in May 2012 provides an introduction to each of the five key challenges identified. The first policy paper entitled The International Legal Frameworks concerning Trafficking in Persons was published in 2013.

The Demand paper was presented in an event co-sponsored by the Permanent Mission of the Philippines to the United Nations, in the margins of the seventh session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Transnational Organized Crime, which was held in Vienna in October 2014.

His Excellency Mr. Ricardo V. Paras, Chief State Counsel of the Philippines, addressed the event with opening remarks on Philippines' approach to combating trafficking in persons, especially for the purpose of labour exploitation. The panel was chaired by Mr. Mathieu Luciano (IOM), who holds the rotating Chairmanship of ICAT in 2014. The panel was further comprised of: Ms. Alix Nasri (ILO), Ms. Sabine Okonkwo (UNHCR), Ms. Katharina Peschke (UNODC), Ms. Youla A. Haddadin (OHCHR) and Ms. Szilvia Petkov (UNODC/ICAT Secretariat). A statement was also delivered on behalf of Mr. Kerry L. Neal (UNICEF).