STOP THE TRAFFIK

STOP THE TRAFFIK CALLS ON ALL GOVERNMENTS TO:

  • Prevent the Sale of People,

  • Prosecute the Traffickers, and

  • Protect the Victims.

     

    We commend the Australian Government for the steps it has already taken to achieve these goals.

     

    In addition we call on the Australian Government to:

    1. Urge and support all countries in the Asia-Pacific region becoming parties to, and effectively implementing, the following international treaties that deal with people trafficking and exploited child labour:

    • The Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography;
    • The Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the UN Convention against Transnational Organised Crime; and
    • ILO Convention No. 182 on the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour

  • 2. Support multilateral programs to deal with exploited child labour and people trafficking within the Asia-Pacific region including:

    • An annual contribution of US$2.1 million to the International Program for the Elimination of Child labour (IPEC);
    • The Coordinated Mekong Ministerial Initiative against Trafficking (COMMIT) program to tackle trafficking in the Mekong region; and

    3. Enhance its response to the needs and causes of women being trafficked into Australia and improve access to visas and support service for victims including:

    Granting a temporary visa for three months to all suspected trafficked victims;

    Providing support services to people who have been trafficked to Australia on the basis of need, rather than their usefulness as a witness in any prosecution of the traffickers;

    Allow victims of trafficking and slavery in Australia equal access to victims compensation;

    Ease the ability of the victims of trafficking to testify in court proceedings against traffickers, similar to those available to victims of sexual assault; and

    Improve community awareness about identification of victims of trafficking and slavery.

     

    4. Increase support for poverty alleviation programs by increasing overseas aid to 0.7% of Gross National Income by 2015, to address poverty as a factor in facilitating people trafficking.

     

    DOWNLOAD THE FULL STOP THE TRAFFIK AUSTRALIA POLICY HERE

    TO LEARN ABOUT WHAT THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT HAS DONE TO STOP PEOPLE TRAFFICKING CLICK HERE