Trafficking in human beings: human rights and ... - unesdoc - Unesco

Considering the complexity of the problem and the context of our research
– being without the benefi t of fi eld research and observation of practices
in action, it is both impossible and unethical to make pronouncements
on the impact of a particular practice, let alone name any of them “best
practices”. Our emphasis is on an understanding of the cognitive function
of particular epistemic communities engaged in the struggle against human
traffi cking in order to appreciated the specifi c choices made (for action)
in their context.
In the fi eld of human traffi cking, epistemic egalitarianism should foster such
dialogues between policy-making bodies, engaged grass-roots organisations
and scholars to address the congruence of forces behind the phenomenon
in the interest of human rights protection. This means including also
‘people living with human traffi cking’ (as traffi cked persons, returnees and
their families) to take part as ‘knowing subjects’ on how best to protect
their rights. Such dialogues can be built on experiences of inclusion already
taking place in several countries, notably the participation by returnees in
the formulation of intervention at micro level. Their narratives and insights
should be channelled into the policy fi eld and scholarly interpretative
works. This may help to foster a shared understanding of the problem
and a collective support that does not take for granted some standardised
defi nition of human traffi cking, but is capable of responding to diversity
of needs and ‘situated’ rights of traffi cked persons and their families.
UNESCO: Searching for Best Practices to Counter Human Traffi cking in Africa:
A Focus on Women and Children, p. 3 and 4
In all the reports the focus is on human traffi cking of women and children in Africa.
While each group has its own particular situation, both groups make a clear showcase of
severe violations of human rights in situation of human traffi cking. The study highlights
the ways that lack of recognition of children’s rights and women’s marginalized and
discriminatory location at both public and private sphere has placed them at a higher
risk of being traffi cked. As will be seen below the focus on women and children is most
certainly justifi ed, but also dangerous in the sense that it exclude traffi cking of men from
the debate, but including a discussion on discrimination in the public and private sphere
is extremely interesting and will be briefl y mentioned below.
In applying a human rights based approach to the problem of human traffi cking,
UNESCO chooses to focus its attention on the groups that show severe violations of
human rights in situation of human traffi cking – women and children. It should always
be clear that a human rights approach to traffi cking is a human rights approach to the
victims, not a human rights approach to traffi cking as a legal concept and defi nition. It
should also be clear that women and children are not alone in being victims. As will be
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