An Introduction to Human Trafficking - United Nations Office on ...

PART TWO.—IMPACT
resources accumulated by illegal activities, including trafficking, in post-conflict zones may
also become a part of redirected revenue used for the clandestine political economy of a
region, with serious global consequences. 71
VII.—Global security
In most regions of destination, trafficking in persons along with its links <strong>to</strong> organized
crime and its significant human rights, economic, social, and political impacts are acknowledged
as endangering human as well as national security. For example, trafficking in persons
is described in the European Security Strategy as one of the five key threats for the
region. 72 Regional forums both within the European Union and in South-East Asia commonly
focus on developing collaborative efforts at addressing organized crime, including
law enforcement cooperation and training, and in combating human trafficking by targeting
migrant smugglers and human traffickers within a regional focus. The <strong>United</strong> States
regards trafficking in persons as an important issue both because of its human impact
and also because of its consequences for national security, primarily with respect <strong>to</strong> terrorism,
crime, health and welfare, and border control. 73
In many countries, in particular in source areas, the prioritization of anti-human trafficking
efforts must compete with a range of significant national concerns, including addressing
poverty, corruption and/or civil unrest, as well as competing demands for scarce
resources. 74 As evidenced by the ratification of the <strong>Trafficking</strong> Pro<strong>to</strong>col, there is, however,
broad global agreement on the significant risks and harms that relate human trafficking
issues <strong>to</strong> humanitarian concerns, business interests, political relationships, investments
in training and assistance, and law enforcement cooperation. The proliferation of trafficking
in persons and the organized crime associated with it is recognized as having a negative
impact on all these areas and undermining the effectiveness of aid and investment.
There is also a consideration that organized crime networks involved in human trafficking
may be a potential terrorism threat. 75
71
Ibid., p. 25
72
Volker Perthes, “European perceptions, America’s ‘greater Middle East’", The Daily Star, 9 March 2004
(see www.pogar.org/themes/reforms/documents/04e-eu-perceptions.pdf).
73
<strong>United</strong> States, Department of Homeland Security, written statement of John P. Clark, Deputy Assistant
Secretary, U.S. Immigration and Cus<strong>to</strong>ms Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security, before the House
Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee on Management, Integration and Oversight: the 9/11 Reform Act:
examining the implementation of the <strong>Human</strong> Smuggling and <strong>Trafficking</strong> Center, 8 March 2006
(see www.ice.gov/doclib/pi/news/testimonies/060308testimony.pdf).
74
James O. Finckenauer and Ko-lin Chin, Asian Transnational Organized Crime and its Impact on the <strong>United</strong> States:
Developing a Transnational Crime Research Agenda: a Final Report, submitted <strong>to</strong> the National Institute of Justice, <strong>United</strong>
States Department of Justice, November 2004, pp. 2-18 (see www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/213310.pdf).
75
Louise I. Shelley, “<strong>Human</strong> trafficking: transnational crime and links with terrorism”, statement <strong>to</strong> the House
Committee on International Relations, Subcommittee on International Terrorism, Nonproliferation and
<strong>Human</strong> Rights, on 25 June 2003
(see http://usinfo.state.gov/eap/Archive_Index/<strong>Human</strong>_<strong>Trafficking</strong>_Transnational_Crime_and_Links_with_Terrorism.html).
99