Topic B:Women’s Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery

About our committee:

UN Women is the entity dedicated to the protection of gender equality and the empowerment
of all women and girls around the world. The United Nations had always struggled to find
and promote gender equality for women due to their lack of organization. In 2010 The
General Assembly founded UN Women. This entity is entirely dedicated to developing
solutions to enhance gender equality through the collaboration of the governments to
guarantee that all improvements benefit all women and girls worldwide.

Since its inception, UN Women has played a crucial role in advancing gender, equality,
globally, regionally, and locally. International partners, such as the Women's Empowerment
Principles, Global Innovation Coalition for Change, and the Unstereotype Alliance,
contribute significantly to empowering women in society and addressing the challenges they
face. It is heartening to see collaborative contributions working towards gender equality on a
global scale.

UN women not only manages and advocates for gender equality within the UN system but
also ensures its integration into all discussions and commitments related to the 2030 agenda,
In addition to that, another of the main objectives is looking forward into gender equality to
be a key part of the sustainable development goals and broaden the opportunities for women
in all aspects around the world.

UN Women, involves numerous countries in its work. All member states of the United
Nations are potentially involved in UN Women through various roles, including membership
in its Executive Board, funding, and participation in initiatives and programs. The Executive
Board of UN Women is made up of representatives from 41 countries. These members are
elected by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) based on equitable geographical
distribution: 10 from Africa, 10 from Asia-Pacific, 4 from Eastern Europe, 6 from Latin
America and the Caribbean, 5 from Western Europe and other States, 6 from contributing
countries.
Introduction:

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones
we´ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek”
- Barack Obama

Human trafficking, a modern form of slavery, undermines basic rights and exploits those
most vulnerable. Women and girls are commonly forced and trafficked for sexual violence,
this being sexual slavery. Women and girls are also being exploited for purposes such as
forced marriage or forced labor, which cause frightful and devastating consequences.

It occurs both within countries and across borders, impacting communities on a local scale.
Human trafficking victims are bought, sold, and abused within their own countries and across
borders. “According to the ILO’s latest data, the Asia and Pacific region has the highest
number of victims of forced labor and marriage, accounting for more than half of the global
total — 29.6 million.”

Although slavery and trafficking affects everyone we can't escape the fact that it is mostly
gendered. Most individuals identified as trafficked for both labor and commercial sex are
women and girls. For every 10 victims detected globally, five are adult women and two are
girls, according to a report released in 2021 by the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime.

Modern slavery among women and girls is a big challenge that requires commitment from
governments, faith leaders and non government organizations. Leaving aside the fact that
many governments have pledged to end all forms of violence against women, more radical
actions need to take place for this to be eradicated.

Historical Background

Women’s human trafficking and slavery have a very deep-rooted historical background
that spans centuries. Throughout history, women have been particularly vulnerable to
exploitation and trafficking due to various economic, social and political factors. The
transatlantic slave trade, forcibly trafficked millions of African women into slavery,
highlighting the historical systemic oppression faced by women.

The exploitation of women in the sex trade, forced labor, and domestic servitude is a
prevalent form of modern slavery that persists worldwide. Efforts to combat women’s
human trafficking and slavery have evolved overtime. International organizations,
governments, and advocacy groups have increasingly recognized the need for
comprehensive strategies to prevent trafficking, protect victims, and protect offenders.

The fight against human trafficking is ongoing, with a growing emphasis on addressing
root causes, empowering survivors, and promoting gender equality to combat the
systemic issues fueling these heinous crimes.

Current Relevance

In the present time forced labor affects 28 million of men, women and children in all
countries and all economic sectors. It is rooted in poverty, discrimination, and insufficient
social protection, and it undermines fair competition among businesses.

Although modern slavery affects everyone, it is undeniably a gendered issue. Women and
girls are disproportionately subjected to forced marriage and forced commercial exploitation.
Gender biases disadvantage girls from before birth through to the end of their lives.

Practices such as sex-selective abortions and infanticide contribute to lower birth rates and
survival rates for infant girls in societies that view them as economic liabilities. As girls grow
up, the effects of discrimination intensify, and gender inequality worsens. In many countries,
girls have less access to education and healthcare compared to boys. Women are more likely
to fall into poverty, work in the most hazardous sectors of the informal economy, and
ultimately become ensnared in modern slavery at higher rates than men.

Modern slavery is fueled by power imbalances that are particularly intensified for women and
girls due to gender inequality and discrimination. Regrettably, gender inequality and
discrimination are profoundly ingrained in the fabric of our society—manifesting in laws,
social norms, differential expectations placed on daughters versus sons, and biases that limit
the opportunities available to women and girls.

Addressing modern slavery among women and girls presents a significant challenge that
necessitates a heightened sense of urgency from governments, faith leaders, and businesses.
Collaboration with international and non-governmental organizations, which have long been
at the forefront of these issues, is essential to effectively tackle this problem.

Women and girls are predominantly trafficked for sexual and economic exploitation,
including prostitution, pornography, forced labor in commercial agriculture and domestic
work, arranged marriages or being ‘sold’ as brides, and recruitment for conflict-related
activities such as sexual services, portage, and domestic roles in war zones.

The experiences of trafficking for women and girls differ significantly from those of men and
boys. Women and girls often endure a disproportionately severe impact, whereas trafficked
men frequently face challenges in accessing existing victim assistance programs. This
underscores the necessity of incorporating gender equality principles into the development
and implementation of legislation and programs aimed at preventing human trafficking.

UN ACTIONS:

The United Nations Human Rights office tackles the issue of human trafficking and modern
slavery from a human-rights perspective. With the principle of international human rights
conventions and other legal frameworks concerning trafficking.

Since the year 2000, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has
effectively advocated for this approach. The initiatives are concentrated in three principal
areas: capacity development, research and knowledge production, and the formation of
strategic partnerships.

The primary way in which these initiatives and actions are divided is as follows:

Capacity Development
The United Nations Human Rights Office is dedicated to strengthening the capacities of
Member States to ensure that their legislation, policies and administrative regulations align
with international human rights standards on trafficking in persons. Over the past decade, the
Office has provided significant support to countries in Central Europe, the Middle East and
North Africa, facilitating their progress in incorporating human rights considerations into
their anti-trafficking responses.

In addition, the Office focuses on raising awareness and building capacity in relation to
migrant trafficking. In several African countries, the Office has organized workshops and
training sessions for gendarmes and border control officers. These initiatives aim to educate
them on international and regional human rights instruments related to people on the move
and enhance their capacity to protect and identify human rights violations. Recently, the
Office has also assisted civil aviation authorities and airlines in their role in recognizing and
addressing victims of trafficking.

Projects and collaborations

Human Trafficking: In collaboration with the International Civil Aviation Organization

(ICAO), the United Nations Human Rights Office is developing guidelines and an e-learning
course to train cabin crew in recognizing victims of trafficking. This project also includes the
creation of an awareness message for in-flight announcements. The guidelines will be
launched in 2018 during the first Civil Aviation and Airline Authorities Forum on Trafficking
in Persons.

Alliance and Partnerships

Addressing human trafficking requires a multidisciplinary approach, and the UN Human

Rights Office is committed to engaging in UN inter-agency processes and strengthening
collaboration with diverse actors; As the participation in the Inter-Agency Coordination
Group against Trafficking in Persons (ICAT): At the global level, the Office actively
participates in ICAT, a policy forum established by the UN General Assembly to enhance
coordination among UN agencies and promote a comprehensive approach to combating
trafficking in persons.
The Office contributes to the incorporation of a human rights-based approach in ICAT policy
documents, thematic reports and submissions to Member States.

In 2017, the UN Human Rights Office chaired ICAT, leading the drafting of the group’s
submission for the Evaluation of the Global Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Persons
and the Political Declaration adopted by the UN General Assembly in September 2017. The
Office also played a key role in organizing the multi-stakeholder preparatory hearing held in
New York in June 2017.

As part of ICAT, the Office is involved in the development of trafficking indicators and
contributes to the study of the connections between trafficking of children in conflict
situations and the six grave violations against children affected by armed conflict, in
accordance with Security Council resolution SCR 2388.

Alliance against Trafficking in Persons:

The Alliance against Trafficking in Persons is an international forum bringing together

international, non-governmental and intergovernmental organizations working together to
prevent and combat trafficking in persons. The United Nations Human Rights Office actively
participates in the Alliance, including hosting meetings of the Alliance's Coordination Team
of Experts and supporting the organization of its annual high-level conference.

The actions taken by the United Nations are a reflection of the importance of human
trafficking and modern slavery. That is why it is important to maintain a presence in the
actions and establish a position that determines to make the world a better place.

BULLET POINTS:
-Facing sexual coercion in traffic of women.

-Modern slavery, in supply chains and how your consumer decisions can contribute.
-Measures taken for Slavery and their advantages and disadvantages.

-Mental support for women and how it would help them to choose other sides.

-Democratic conditions that facilitate slavery and they’re frequency.

NATIONS:

→ United States of America:The United States government considers human

trafficking of any gender to be a serious crime as it affects your human rights, due

to this there are several laws to protect victims such as the one called *Victims Of

Traffic And Violence Protection Act*, this law protects any affected person and

punishes the trafficker.

→ People's Republic of China:We know that China is a very controversial

country regarding slavery, despite this they are quite serious in eradicating this,

promulgating laws for the prevention and control of human trafficking and

working with international cooperation, seeking to raise public awareness as well

as the OIT or the global coalition against human trafficking, these coalitions

bring together organizations to carry out educational campaigns.

→ Japan:Japan has been a very controversial country. Because of this, it has

implemented laws, but multiple studies indicate that their application is

insufficient, because of this they have started programs, such as the victim

assistance program, which deals with people and tries to support any victim.

→ Republic of India:India has made progress in the face of human trafficking

despite its challenges, thanks to new laws such as the Prevention of Human

Trafficking Act, which was created in 2018, despite its progress, we know that it

is a lack of resources on its part to be able to provide comprehensive help.

→ Russian Federation:This federation, with regard to human trafficking, has

adopted new laws such as the penal code, which will impose a punishment on the

trafficker. On the other hand, speaking of enslavement, it also has laws that

prohibit slavery and its exploitation, although despite this, cases of forced labor are

reported in multiple sectors.

→ French Republic:France is trying to raise awareness among people by

implementing campaigns and programs, such as SOS Esclaves, which is an

organization that provides legal and psychological support. Despite all this, it has

not yet managed to identify the majority of trafficking networks.

→United Mexican States:Mexico is one of the most active countries, taking

measures in this regard, with laws for the protection of victims as well as the law

on violence against women, which was approved in 1994. It also carries out

multiple campaigns such as Love 146, which focuses on prevention. Of human

trafficking, Not For Sale, which focuses on eradicating exploitation by focusing

on education, and Slavery Footprint, which seeks to raise awareness of modern

slavery, in supply chains and how your consumer decisions can contribute.

→Federative Republic of Brazil:Brazil has been very diverse in this area,

implementing new policies as well as campaigns in which its sister countries

participate. The government also works in collaboration with non-governmental

organizations to improve this, some names are the “Instituto de Defesa do Direito

de Defensa” (IDDD)

→Dominion of Canada:Canada is strongly opposed to any pro-trafficking or pro-

slavery agenda, with a focus on prevention in mind as Canada has a national

action plan to combat human trafficking. Canada also often works in

collaboration with NGOs to improve thinking on modern slavery.

→Republic of Turkey: This issue has been the subject of international attention,

specifically for Turkey, due to this it has adopted multiple laws such as the

Turkish penal code, the national strategy to combat human trafficking, the law

for the protection of workers and the migration law, these laws were versatile for

slavery and human trafficking.

→Kingdom of Spain: Spain has the Organic Law 1-2015, which establishes

protection measures for victims, and also has a comprehensive plan to combat

human trafficking, which prevents and protects any victim.

→Republic of Italy:Italy has Law 228-2003, the Italian Penal Code and the

National Action Plan. All three laws also prevent and combat crime by penalizing.

Italy not only has this, but also forums and platforms in which participants often

participate in conferences, seminars and discussion groups, which are organized

by universities and international organizations, which often bring to light the

experiences of victims.

→Republic of Argentina:Argentina is very firm in this regard, as it has multiple

laws such as 26.364, which establishes prevention and sanctions, and its penal code

classifies human trafficking and exploitation as serious crimes. It has also

implemented a national action plan that seeks to combat these problems through

collaborations with civil society organizations.

→Arab Republic of Egypt:In Egypt, human trafficking has been a major concern,

which is why several laws have been introduced, such as Law 64, which was

passed in 2010 and is focused on human trafficking, as well as a dual-use law for

trafficking and enslavement, although not everything is perfect and there are still

multiple challenges to face.

→Kingdom of Morocco:Morocco's position on the issue is one of total rejection

and condemnation of those who commit such a thing. Based on this, they have

created Law 1.03, approved in 2003, and they also have a penal code that refers to

the two issues addressed.

→Republic of Chile:Chile has implemented laws and policies to combat these

problems, of course. For example, in 2005 the law on human trafficking was

passed, which sanctions, prevents and protects. Likewise, this nation participates

in international initiatives such as the Havana action plan, which is interested in

regional cooperation.
→Republic of Colombia:This nation has a firm rejection like some others, since it

now has a legal framework that combats the accessibility of these cases, and has

also implemented public policies and multiple programs such as the prevention

program of human trafficking and the national action plan against human

trafficking.

→Bolivian Republic of Venezuela:Simply put, the position of this country is one

of condemnation since it has approved multiple laws that combat any trafficking

in its territory. Likewise, Venezuela has developed programs to give better

attention to any victim who is facing multiple challenges because of this.

→State of Israel:Israel is a country full of religion, but also full of restrictions. Such

as the laws they have implemented for these problems such as the law on the

provision of human trafficking that originated in 2006. Likewise, it also works

with international organizations such as the OIT, the OSCE and the UNODC.

→Republic of Poland:Poland also has a strong aversion to slavery. This has led to

laws to combat trafficking, such as the 2003 law on the prevention and fight

against human trafficking. It has also developed programmes to protect victims

and is actively collaborating with international organisations in the European

Union.

→Kingdom of the Netherlands:The Netherlands also has a high level of rejection

of these actions to combat it, this included the 2000 law on human trafficking, on

the other side Netherlands it’s also working together with the organization OIT,

the Europol and the UNODC.

→Republic of Costa Rica:This country has implemented laws and policies such as

the 2012 law against human trafficking. It also works with international and

regional organizations. Some examples of these are the International Organization

for Migration, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the Inter-

American Commission on Human Rights. Thanks to these organizations we can

count on greater protection and activity in this regard.

→Kingdom of Saudi Arabia:This topic is difficult to deal with, as its approach has

been the subject of criticism. Furthermore, this country has improved its laws and

policies and works with multiple organizations mentioned above, such as the

International Labor Organization. Although they have tried to give everything

 they can, the situation remains of utmost importance and a greater effort is needed

to properly end the issue.

→Republic of South Africa:South Africa has shown great commitment by having

the law to prevent and combat human trafficking introduced in 2013. One of the

most notable differences between South Africa and other countries is its focus on

comprehensive legislation that seeks to maintain solid legal frameworks to deal

with these crimes with the firmness that is required. It has also opened awareness

programs to sectors of the justice system, which improves the prosecution and

identification of cases.

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