Statement 115 - Australian Permanent Mission and Consulate-General

Australian Permanent Mission and Consulate-General

Geneva, Switzerland

Address: Chemin des Fins 2, Case Postale 102, 1211 Geneva 19 - Telephone: 022 799 9100 - Fax: 022 799 9178

Human Rights Council

Panel on trafficking “Give voice to victims of trafficking”

Statement by Australia

2 June 2010

Mr Chair,

Let me begin by thanking all the members of the panel for being here today and sharing with us their moving and important stories.

People trafficking is a complex crime with significant impacts on the human rights of victims.

Australia encourages all countries to ratify and fully implement the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its supplementary Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children.

Australia would welcome the views of the Special Rapporteur on what can be done to improve the degree of implementation of the Protocol.

Women, children and men may be vulnerable to human trafficking for a range of reasons, such as poverty, lack of education, gender inequality or other cultural factors. The current global recession has increased the risk of such exploitation.

The Millennium Development Goals provide a mechanism to address risk factors, by addressing the fundamental causes of human trafficking. Progress towards these goals will help to create better livelihood options and reduce the vulnerability of individuals and communities to trafficking and other forms of labour exploitation.

Australia’s approach to combat all forms of people trafficking addresses the full trafficking cycle from recruitment to reintegration. It lends equal weight to the critical areas of prevention, detection and investigation, prosecution and victim support. It also includes the provision of significant development assistance in our region, focusing on achieving the Millennium Development Goals, to help address the fundamental causes of trafficking.

Supporting victims is a key component of anti-trafficking efforts. Australia’s Support for Victims of Trafficking Program provides comprehensive support for trafficking victims in Australia, including income support, secure accommodation, medical treatment, basic legal advice, counseling, training and social support.

Australia would like to hear from the panel about ways in which States can improve victim support arrangements.

Finally, we commend you once more for your strength and courage both in recovering from your experiences and in speaking to us today.