Trafficking in persons is a modern-day form of slavery involving victims who are typically forced, defrauded or coerced into various forms of exploitation. Men, women and children are treated as inexpensive, expendable and profitable commodities used for benefit (financial or otherwise). Human traffickers often use existing migratory flows and look for migrants that can be potentially exploited. Trafficking has become one of the fastest growing and most lucrative crimes, occurring both worldwide and in individual countries, including those in the Caribbean region. The region’s trafficking trends include intra-regional flows and extra-regional flows (e.g. movement from South Asia or East Asia to the region). Caribbean countries also can serve as a transit route for trafficking, often destined towards North America and Europe. Additionally, internal trafficking, which occurs within a country’s borders, exists in some Caribbean nations. IOM’s Exploratory Assessment of Trafficking in Persons in the Caribbean Region identified some level of human trafficking in the areas of forced labour, sexual exploitation and domestic servitude. The victims (men, women, boys and girls from within and outside the region) were found to be trafficked through legal methods, such as work permits and visas, and illegal methods, such as smuggling.

The overall objective of this pilot project is to contribute to the efforts of the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to enhance its institutional capacities to combat trafficking in children through the development of comprehensive and integrated activities promoting prevention measures of this phenomenon, protection of victims and prosecution of traffickers. The comprehensive nature of this Programme is in direct response to the Government’s expressed interest and request to IOM to provide assistance in the prevention of trafficking, protection of victims of trafficking and prosecution of traffickers in Afghanistan. This initiative will pursue these objectives through a preliminary action-research phase that will provide the necessary insight on the phenomenon of child trafficking in/from Afghanistan in order to better tailor and target the consequent project components.

Trafficking in persons is real in Puntland; both internal and cross border. These guidelines provide a referral system for assisting victims of trafficking through which both state institutions non-state service providers will cooperate and collaborate to perform their responsibility and commitment to protect and provide right-based assistance to victims of trafficking in Puntland State. The aim of these guidelines is to provide the Puntland state and non-state actors engaged in victim assistance and protection with a standardized approach for assisting victims of trafficking (VoTs) in accordance with international standards. These guidelines only provide minimum standards to which stakeholders ought to adhere to while assisting victims of human trafficking. The United Nations Protocol to Prevent and Suppress Trafficking in Persons; the Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air; the IOM Handbook on Direct Assistance for Victims of Trafficking provide a strong basis and foundational reference for these guidelines and therefore concepts and terminologies are adopted in line with those references documents. The implementation of these guidelines will be monitored by the Puntland Counter Trafficking Board (PCTB)

When conflicts or natural disasters erupt, they can disproportionately affect migrants living, working, studying, traveling, or transiting in the country experiencing the crisis. The earthquake and tsunami in Tohoku, Japan (2011), the floods in Thailand (2011), hurricane Sandy in the United States (2012), and the outbreak of conflicts in the Central African Republic and in Yemen in recent years are but a few examples of crises in which migrants were among those seriously affected. While they are resilient and resourceful, a variety of factors create particular vulnerability for migrants in the face of such crises. Language barriers, restrictions on mobility, irregular immigration status, confiscated or lost identity or travel documents, limited social networks, isolation, and attacks and discrimination are some of the factors that hinder the ability of migrants to access protection, move out of harm’s way, or otherwise ensure their own safety and wellbeing. The Migrants in Countries in Crisis (MICIC) Initiative was conceived to address these challenges.

The strategy outlines the CP AoR’s strategic direction and role, specifying four key goals that focus on delivering the core cluster functions9 (for which the CP AoR is accountable) and delivering the transformation articulated through the World Humanitarian Summit. Each goal is positioned to integrate with and complement the work of key actors within the wider child protection community; to support the overall strategic direction of the Global Protection Cluster; and to articulate linkages and partnerships with other Clusters and Areas of Responsibility. These goals are underpinned by four guiding principles that support more inclusive, localized coordination whilst ensuring that core humanitarian values are not compromised.

Refugee men and boys can be subjected to sexual and gender‑based violence (SGBV). Survivors have specific health, psychosocial, legal, and safety needs, but often find it hard to discuss their experience and access the support they need. It is important that UNHCR and its partners take steps to address these difficulties. The objectives of this note are to emphasise that programmes on sexual and gender‑based violence need to include men and boys, and to provide guidance on how to access survivors, facilitate reporting, provide protection and deliver essential medical, legal and social services

The inter-agency training package “Caring for Survivors” was developed in an effort to provide multi-sectoral actors with the necessary survivor-centered skills and tools to improve referral systems and care and support to survivors of GBV in their communities.

For some years now, one of the concerted efforts of GAATW has been to put together a document that will clearly spell out the human rights of trafficked persons. The idea for such a document arose out of a discussion during the International Workshop on Migration and Traffic in Women in October 1994, organised by the Foundation for Women (FFW) in Thailand. NGOs and activists from different parts of the world present at the workshop felt that if a comprehensive document can be prepared it will be easier for its inclusion into the legal procedure. Subsequently a number of people contributed their expertise and time for the production of Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Trafficked Persons (SMR). Last November we revised the document and called it the Human Rights Standards for the Treatment of Trafficked Persons (HRS). The HRS includes an all-encompassing definition of trafficking, and a set of state responsibilities which ensures that trafficked persons are protected and their rights are promoted under human rights law. These responsibilities contain measures to provide trafficked persons with access to justice, private actions and reparations, access to the right to seek asylum, access to health and other services, and help with repatriation and reintegration in their home countries. This comprehensive document aims to promote respect for the human rights of individuals who have been victims of trafficking, including those who have been subjected to involuntary labour and/or slavery-like practices. The Human Rights Standards for the Treatment of Trafficked Persons (HRS) can be used as a guide in providing assistance to women and taking legal action against traffickers.

The present report of the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children, Maria Grazia Giammarinaro, was prepared pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 35/5. In the report, the Special Rapporteur takes stock of her previous research and reports, and analyses protection gaps in the legal and policy framework to prevent and combat trafficking. Profound changes are needed in the current approach to antitrafficking action, which predominantly tends to prioritize investigation and prosecution of traffickers over victims’ support, empowerment and long-term social inclusion. Moreover, restrictive migration policies contribute to exacerbate vulnerabilities to trafficking and severe exploitation, and hamper the protection of trafficked persons’ rights. The Special Rapporteur urges States to adopt a genuinely human rights-based approach, and offers updated recommendations, based on the Recommended Principles and Guidelines on Human Rights and Human Trafficking.