Statement by L.Belskaya, Permanent Representative of Belarus in Geneva on the occasion of the World Day against Trafficking in Persons
02.08.2023Special event devoted to the observation of the
WORLD DAY AGAINST TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS — 2023
United Nations Office at Geneva
Statement by Ms Larysa Belskaya,
Permanent Representative of the Republic of Belarus
to the United Nations Office and other international
organisations in Geneva
August 2, 2023
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,
Dear Friends,
It is an honour to join you to mark the World Day against Trafficking in Persons which was established by the UN GA 10 years ago according to the resolution 68/192 “Improving the coordination of efforts against trafficking in persons”. In this resolution, the General Assembly called upon all States, as well as the UN system and all other relevant stakeholders, to use the World Day to raise awareness of the importance of preventing and combating trafficking and to promote coordinated action at all levels.
One of the key goals of the World Day is to bring remedy and justice to thousands of victims and survivors fraudulently or violently removed from their homes and families and cast into modern slavery.
I am proud to say that such a gathering was not possible without the efforts of the Group of Friends United against Human Trafficking, which was created in the UN in 2010 and by now comprises 22 states from all regions of the world.
My deep thanks to representatives of the Geneva Chapter of the Group for supporting the idea of organizing today’s event in the UNOG.
My Special appreciation to the Ambassadors of Qatar and Bangladesh for their kind agreement to participate in the event as the keynote speaker.
My special appreciation also goes to the International Organization for Migration and UN Office for High commissioner for Refugees, our valued and important partners in the global fighting trafficking in persons.
I am also thankful to all guests for recognizing the importance of the fight against human trafficking.
Honestly, it would be my wish that we would not have to observe this day. It would be my wish that trafficking in persons was a thing of the past.
All human beings are born free and equal. We know that phrase and we know where it comes from, all of us believe it. Yet, we cannot state that this is today’s reality.
One of the reasons is modern slavery or trafficking in persons, phenomenon, which still exists in the twenty-first century, during the time of the exploration of outer space, the internet, AI, and all these new incredible technologies.
The act of selling people like commodities strips a human being of every shred of respect. It is an attack on human dignity and one of the most severe crime. It turns men, women and children into slaves, without rights, without charity, without compassion, and without conscience.
To support my words about the cruelty of human trafficking allow me to provide some data of the last UNODC Global Report on Trafficking in Persons the seventh of its kind mandated by the UN General Assembly through the Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons in 2010.
• The forms of exploitation of victims range from sexual and labour exploitation to forced criminality from pickpocketing to shoplifting, thefts of cars or jewelry, as well as drug trafficking and exploitative begging.
• The most inhuman and cynical crime is trafficking in persons, especially children, for the purpose of organ removal.
• Women and children face more violent exploitation. Female victims (women and girls) account for 60 per cent of the total number of detected victims in 2020.
• Female victims, of any age are three-times more likely to suffer physical or extreme violence (including sexual) than males. Children (girls and boys) are 1.7 times more likely to suffer violence than adults, and girls are 1.5 times more likely to suffer violence than women.
• Women account for up to 42 per cent of all trafficking victims detected globally.
• 35 per cent of all victims, detected globally, are children.
• Nearly two-thirds of detected victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation are women and another 27 per cent are girls.
These are appalling facts and figures, and they hide the individual pain and misery of the millions of victims and their families.
Root courses of trafficking are still a fundamental problem that needs to be properly addressed. In a World Day Against Trafficking in Persons 2023 message, UN Secretary-General A. Guterres rightly said: “Today – amidst growing inequalities, worsening climate emergencies, and record displacement – more and more people are left vulnerable to traffickers.”
Indeed, war and armed conflicts offer a hunting ground for traffickers. Displacement affects millions of people around the world, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation by traffickers.
The UNODC Global Report also reflects disappointing conclusions about deteriorating global situation and the lack of national responses, especially in developing and middle-income countries.
• In 2020, detection rates for trafficking in persons felt by 11% and convictions of perpetrators — by 27%, which UNODC believes indicates a slowdown in the criminal justice response to human trafficking worldwide.
• It was noted that the COVID-19 pandemic has also changed the characteristics of human trafficking, by making it even more hidden from law enforcement and potentially increasing the risk to victims.
• In fact, 41% of victims who fled exploitation approached the authorities on their own initiative. It’s another sign that the anti-trafficking response is not effective enough.
How can we Member States, international organizations and other stakeholders, the international community, step up our response? I believe that this is a question of shared responsibilities and improved coordination.
There are a few key approaches:
First, we must work to prevent the trafficking in persons. Every country must ratify and fully implement the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, the 20th anniversary of its entering into forth we are celebrating this year, as well as its Protocol on human trafficking. And, using these tools, to develop an integrated response at the national, regional and international levels. One, that delivers greater information sharing, joint trans-border operations and improved cooperation and coordination.
Second, we must work closely with the victims. This includes assistance and protection to every victim.
Since the adoption of the UN Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons the role of the Inter-Agency Coordination Group against Trafficking in Persons (ICAT) and the UN Trust Fund for Victims of Human Trafficking has become even more important.
Just recently ICAT calls on all states and other stakeholders to take immediate measures to eliminate vulnerability to trafficking in persons, ensure the effective prosecution of perpetrators and those who benefit from exploitation, and ensure that victims of trafficking in persons have access to protection and support.
We cannot forget the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and SDGs, with its central motto: “Leaving no one behind”. As we are preparing to SDG Summit 2023 in New York, it is critical to intensify efforts on raising awareness and strengthening global commitment to end human trafficking, as specifically outlined in SDGs 5, 8 and 16.
Belarus believes that the World Day against Trafficking in Persons encourages us, all stakeholders, to do our part to ensure an effective prevention and anti-trafficking response, to speak out loudly and clearly against modern slavery, to raise awareness of this crime and provide remedy for its victims.
The leadership of Belarus is strongly committed to combating trafficking in persons at national, regional and international level.
• Nationally, due to the robust legislative and policy measures these crimes represent only isolated occurrences at the national level.
• Belarus implemented measures, providing free of charge social, legal, medical services to victims of trafficking in persons.
• The National Mechanism for the Identification and Referral of Victims of Trafficking for Rehabilitation has been developed.
• The National Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons is being implemented through a number of the governmental programmes. Along with the state bodies non-governmental actors take part in its implementation.
• In collaboration with our valued partners IOM, UNHCR and other ICAT members, Belarus has been implemented dozens of projects, aimed at preventing of trafficking, prosecuting traffickers and protecting of their victims.
• Internationally Belarus makes a practical contribution to the global fight against trafficking.
• About 2000 law enforcement professionals from Belarus and around the world have been trained in the International Training Centre for Migration and Combating Human Trafficking in Minsk since 2008. More than 4000 people participated in a hundred of ITC educational events focused on a wide range of anti-trafficking issues.
• We continue international collaboration. Just a few weeks ago Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus together with the Israeli police, suppressed the activities of an international organised crime group engaged in recruiting girls for sexual exploitation. The victims, among others, were citizens of Belarus. The traffickers face up to 16 years in prison with confiscation of property.
• Belarus provided financial support to the UN Trust Fund for Victims of Human Trafficking, especially women and children.
• During the past 15 years Belarus together with Member States of the Group of Friends United against Human Trafficking and other partners from around the world initiated a number of anti-trafficking resolutions in the UN GA, ECOSOC and other UN bodies.
• Just recently in May 2023, the 32nd session of the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice adopted a consensual resolution initiated by Belarus “Taking Action against Trafficking in Persons in Business Operations, Public Procurement and Supply Chains for Goods and Services”, which contains a set of practical recommendations to governments and private sector on addressing this issue.
At the upcoming 78th UNGA session Belarus will introduce our traditional biannual resolution “Improving the coordination of efforts against trafficking in persons” in order to properly highlight the key topics of the international discourse on trafficking in persons over the last two years. We hope for consensual adoption of the document.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear friends!
Commemoration the World Day against Trafficking in Persons encourages us all to do our part and offer us one more occasion to do one more firm step in the right direction. We must move from describing problems to solutions, to better coordination and genuine dialogue, to targeted joint action on the ground, taking into account the specifics of the current human trafficking situation.
Business as usual is not an option for countering trafficking in persons. Because human rights of victims and survivors are inextricably linked to our own humanity.
Thank you for your attention.
