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We must act together to fight exploitation and human trafficking in tourism, say UN and international partners (1 May 2012)

Date: 01/05/2012
Duncan Lewis, Legal News Solicitors, We must act together to fight exploitation and human trafficking in tourism, say UN and international partners

Taking a firm stand against human trafficking, especially child trafficking, in the tourism sector, the heads of two United Nations bodies pledged to stamp out the hidden curse through joint efforts. Yury Fedotov, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Taleb Rifai, Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), also called for concerted global action at every level of society.
Speaking at an event on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Mr Fedotov said that the two organizations were conveying a strong message to the world that they were not going to be parties to acts which were against the interests of women and children.
Mr. Rifai said that the two organizations were there to reiterate the tourism sector’s commitment to combating human trafficking, an unacceptable affront to human rights and dignity, and to chalk out clear steps for a stronger cooperation in fighting one of the most dreadful crimes of the present times.
UNODC and UNWTO signed a memorandum of understanding to step up cooperation against this form of exploitation.
A staggering one billion tourists, or one in 7 of the world’s population, would travel abroad in 2012 and the sector was expanding driving economic growth, job creation and development, there was evidence that the tourism infrastructure was also being used for the exploitation of and trafficking in persons and specifically children were vulnerable.
Victims of trafficking were most often enslaved for sexual purposes, but they could end up in kitchens or cleaning guesthouses, restaurants and bars too. Tourism infrastructure can, in turn, create markets for forced and exploitative begging and street hawking. Even organs from victims of trafficking are used today to attract people who need a transplant.
The tourism sector can and should play a vital role in preventing human trafficking linked to tourism, including sexual exploitation, said Mr. Fedotov. Codes of conducts for tourism companies have been developed - based on the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism approved by the UN General Assembly in 2001 - and laws enacted that allow for the prosecution in their homeland of tourists who engage in sexual conduct with children. These efforts need to be strengthened and built upon, he added.
Though appalling to see tourism infrastructure being used by traffickers to victimize the vulnerable, the sector was firm in its commitment to reclaim this same infrastructure and use it for awareness rising in the fight against trafficking, Mr. Rifai said.

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