Human trafficking a crime against humanity

With Sri Lankans focusing their attention on the unprecedented and historic public uprising, which forced President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee the country and resign and Parliament on Wednesday electing Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as President with a majority of 52 votes, the United Nations later this month marks the World Day against Trafficking in Persons.  

The prophetic Pope Francis has described trafficking in persons as a crime against humanity. To mark the day the UN in a statement says this year’s theme ‘use and abuse of technology’ points out the role of technology as a tool that can both enable and impede human trafficking.   

With the global expansion in the use of technology - intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic and the shift of our everyday life to online platforms -- the crime of human trafficking has conquered cyber space. The internet and digital platforms offer traffickers numerous tools to recruit, exploit, and control victims; organize their transport and accommodation; advertise victims and reach out to potential clients; communicate among perpetrators; and hide criminal proceeds – and all that with greater speed, cost-effectiveness and anonymity, the UN says.   

However, in the use of technology also lies great opportunity. Future success in eradicating human trafficking will depend on how law enforcement, the criminal justice systems and others can leverage technology in their responses, including aiding investigations to shed light on the modus operandi of trafficking networks; enhancing prosecutions through digital evidence to alleviate the situation of victims in criminal proceedings; and providing support services to survivors. Prevention and awareness-raising activities on the safe use of the internet and social media could help mitigate the risk of people falling victim to trafficking online. Cooperation with the private sector is important to harness innovation and expertise for the development of sustainable, technology-based solutions to support the prevention and combatting of human trafficking, according to the world body.   

The UN also tells us how we can get involved in the battle against this crime. We could share, like and comment on the social media messages for the World Day. We also need to be vigilant in the online sphere and report suspicious pages or activities to the authorities, e.g., by making use of dedicated online mechanisms or helplines. We could donate to the UN Voluntary Trust Fund for Victims of Human Trafficking. This one provides on-the-ground assistance and protection to victims of trafficking.  

The UN has encouraged the Member States to ensure that what is illegal and prosecuted offline is also illegal and prosecuted online. We need to expand our attention in the fight against human trafficking to cyberspace, including providing resources for law enforcement and ensuring policies and regulations are in place. We also need to join the Blue Heart Campaign and support victims of Human Trafficking via the UN Voluntary Trust Fund (UNVTF)  
The UN has made a special call to Technology-based private sector companies, especially tech companies to ensure measures and restrictions are in place to prevent the use of technological platforms and tools for trafficking. These companies are also urged to use technological ingenuity to fight human trafficking and proactively identify illegal and harmful material online and take immediate and effective steps to remove it.  

The UN also refers to sexual exploitation, forced labour and slavery in the crime of human trafficking. Trafficking in persons is a serious crime and a grave violation of human rights. Every year, thousands of men, women and children fall into the hands of traffickers, in their own countries and abroad. Almost every country in the world is affected by trafficking, whether as a country of origin, transit or destination for victims. In 2018 about 50,000 human trafficking victims were detected and reported by 148 countries. 50 percent of detected victims were trafficked for sexual exploitation, 38 per cent were exploited for forced labour. Female victims continue to be the primary targets. Women make up 46 percent and girls 19 percent of all victims of trafficking. Globally, one in every three victims detected is a child. The share of children among detected trafficking victims has tripled, while the share of boys has increased five times over the past 15 years.  

What is the situation in Sri Lanka? We have no legal or state organization dealing with this crime against humanity. The United Nations Office On Drugs and crime(UNODC) as guardian of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) and the Protocols thereto, assists States in their efforts to implement the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons (Trafficking in Persons Protocol).