3071-The political economy of new slavery

68 Trafficking and International Law
trafficking in persons, including, in appropriate cases, in cooperation
with non-governmental organizations, other relevant organizations,
and other elements of civil society, and, in particular, the provision of:
(a) Appropriate housing;
(b) Counselling and information, in particular as regards their legal
rights, in a language that the victim of trafficking can understand;
(c) Medical, psychological and material assistance; and
(d) Employment, educational and training opportunities.
• each State Party shall take into account in applying the provisions
of this article, the age, gender, and special needs of victims of
trafficking in persons, in particular the special needs of children,
including appropriate housing, education and care.
• each State Party shall endeavour to provide for the physical safety of
victims of trafficking in persons while they are within its territory.
• each State Party shall ensure that its domestic legal system contains
measures that offer victims of trafficking in persons the possibility of
obtaining compensation for damage suffered.
How to ensure that governments place the rights of victims at the core
of their anti-trafficking policies was the objective of a two-year research
study to investigate various measures to protect victims, especially those
who act as witnesses in the prosecution of traffickers, completed by Anti-
Slavery International in October 2002 (Pearson, 2002b). The research
was carried out with local NGOs in ten countries and showed that the
four countries which fared better in prosecuting traffickers, Belgium,
Italy, the Netherlands and the United States of America, were those that
had the most comprehensive measures for assisting victims, including
temporary residence permits for those prepared to testify against their
traffickers. An important part of this protection was to ensure that all
persons suspected of being trafficked are given a ‘reflection delay’ of at
least three months, as in the Netherlands. Such a delay allows trafficked
persons to remain in the country legally while they recover from their
situation and consider their options. To be fully effective such reflection
delays should be accompanied by access to specialized services of an
NGO that can ensure appropriate housing, legal, medical, psychological
and material assistance. The quicker documents authorizing temporary
residency are issued, the more effective they are.
Anti-Slavery International’s research found a growing awareness, at all
levels, of the need for a human rights framework to combat trafficking