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

AN INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING: VULNERABILITY, IMPACT AND ACTION
60,000 women and girls might be trafficked. These dramatic figures spurred others <strong>to</strong> reiterate
this concern. The figures were not, however, based on the evidence available <strong>to</strong>
Germany’s Federal authorities, which had already initiated preventive steps of their own.
Following the World Cup, the German authorities reported that 33 possible cases of trafficking
had been investigated during the World Cup period and that four women and one
man had been identified who had been trafficked and whose cases were believed <strong>to</strong> be
linked <strong>to</strong> the World Cup. 40 A separate evaluation concluded that the 40,000 estimate was
unfounded and unrealistic. 41 It noted that the number of women believed <strong>to</strong> be trafficked
<strong>to</strong> Germany each year was usually around a 1,000 persons per year. The evaluation
observed that the publicity (of inaccurate estimates) might hinder the future efforts of
German NGOs <strong>to</strong> gain long-term attention and support for the important work they were
doing.
V.—Protection and assistance
A.—International standards on protection and assistance
Concern that the measures specified in article 6 of the <strong>Trafficking</strong> Pro<strong>to</strong>col for protecting
and assisting trafficked persons were of a general nature prompted several intergovernmental
organizations <strong>to</strong> issue guidelines clarifying the rights of anyone suspected of having
been trafficked under existing international law, in particular their rights <strong>to</strong> protection
and assistance.
The first set of guidelines has already been mentioned—the UNHCHR Recommended
Principles and Guidelines on <strong>Human</strong> Rights and <strong>Human</strong> <strong>Trafficking</strong> (2002). Five of these
17 principles address the matter of protection. They specify, for example, that: 42
“Trafficked persons shall not be detained, charged or prosecuted for the illegality of
their entry in<strong>to</strong> or residence in countries of transit and destination, or for their
involvement in unlawful activities <strong>to</strong> the extent that such involvement is a direct consequence
of their situation as trafficked persons.”
In 2003, UNICEF issued its own guidelines on how a person trafficked before reaching
18 should be protected and assisted, Guidelines for Protection of the Rights of Child
Victims of <strong>Trafficking</strong>. 43 These cover 11 issues, including the appointment of a guardian
for every trafficked child (who has responsibility for ensuring that all subsequent actions
40
Council of the European Union, “Experience report on human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation
and forced prostitution in connection with the 2006 Football World Cup in Germany”, document 5006/1/07,
Rev. 1, Brussels, 19 January 2007.
41
J. Hennig and others, “<strong>Trafficking</strong> in human beings and the 2006 World Cup in Germany”, draft report (Swedish
International Development Agency and International Organization for Migration, September 2006)
(see www.sida.se/shared/jsp/download.jsp?f=World+Cup+Study+Final+Report.pdf&a=25626).
42
E/2002/68/Add.1.
43
The Guidelines were initially designed especially for South-Eastern Europe in 2003. In 2006, a set of revised
Guidelines (see <strong>United</strong> <strong>Nations</strong> Children’s Fund, Reference Guide on Protecting the Rights … , annex I) were issued <strong>to</strong>
be applicable globally (see http://www.unicef.org/ceecis/media_1231.html).
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