Trafficking in Person Report 2005

12 December 2005

Trans-Atlantic Group's Action Against Human Trafficking Welcomed, December 7, 2005

(Helsinki Commission praises OSCE Ministerial Council decision)

The Helsinki Commission, a U.S.-government human rights watchdog group, has welcomed a decision by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) aimed at preventing military and civilian personnel deployed abroad by any of the 55 OSCE states from engaging in human trafficking or sexually exploiting trafficking victims.

The decision, adopted December 6 during the two-day OSCE Ministerial Council in Ljubljana, Slovenia, calls on all OSCE states to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse by its civilian and military personnel or incidents of forced labor, and to investigate and punish any such cases.

A similar policy was endorsed by NATO in 2004. (See related article.)

“The OSCE has taken an important step in establishing an internationally recognized standard for the behavior of military and civilian personnel serving in peacekeeping and related roles around the world,” said Christopher Smith, the co-chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission. The commission is a U.S. government agency that monitors progress in the implementation of the 1975 Helsinki Accords, which obligate signatories to respect basic human rights.

“While the overwhelming majority of persons serving on peacekeeping missions adhere to the highest standards of conduct, there have been cases of human trafficking, sexual exploitation and abuse of local populations,” Smith said. “With this, and NATO’s ‘zero-tolerance’ policy against human trafficking, the international community has made clear that those entrusted with protecting the innocent will not become their exploiters.”

Smith, a Republican congressman from New Jersey who authored the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, also serves as the special representative on human trafficking for the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.

The text of the decision adopted by the OSCE Ministerial Council on peacekeepers and trafficking is available on the OSCE Ministerial Council Web page.

On December 3, the United States became an official party to the U.N. Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children. (See related article.)

The U.S. Defense Department’s George C. Marshall Center recently co-hosted an anti-trafficking conference in Macedonia.

The State Department’s annual Trafficking in Persons Report provides a comprehensive look at trafficking around the world and on what governments are doing to combat it.

For more information on this issue, see Human Trafficking.

Following is the U.S. Helsinki Commission press release:
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U.S. Helsinki Commission
Washington, D.C.
December 7, 2005

Senator Sam Brownback, Chairman
Rep. Christopher H. Smith, Co-Chairman
www.csce.gov 

HELSINKI COMMISSION CO-CHAIRMAN PRAISES OSCE DECISION ON PEACEKEEPING AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING

(Washington) - The Co-Chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), applauded today the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s (OSCE) adoption of a decision on “Ensuring the Highest Standards of Conduct and Accountability of Persons Serving on International Missions and Forces.” The decision was agreed to by the OSCE’s Ministerial Council which met in Ljubljana, Slovenia on December 5th and 6th.

The decision calls on the 55 OSCE States to prevent military and civilian personnel deployed abroad to peacekeeping forces or other international missions, as well as OSCE officials, from engaging in trafficking in human beings or exploiting victims of trafficking, and to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse by peacekeepers, as well as incidents of forced labor. Any such cases should be properly investigated and appropriately punished.

The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, is a U.S. Government agency that monitors progress in the implementation of the provisions of the 1975 Helsinki Accords. The Commission consists of nine members from the United States Senate, nine from the House of Representatives, and one member each from the Departments of State, Defense and Commerce.

“The OSCE has taken an important step in establishing an internationally recognized standard for the behavior of military and civilian personnel serving in peacekeeping and related roles around the world,” said Smith. “It is helping to insure that those entrusted to keep the peace and protect vulnerable populations do not, instead, add to human suffering.”

“While the overwhelming majority of persons serving on peacekeeping missions adhere to the highest standards of conduct, there have been cases of human trafficking, sexual exploitation and abuse of local populations. With this, and NATO’s ‘zero-tolerance’ policy against human trafficking, the international community has made clear that those entrusted with protecting the innocent will not become their exploiters,” added Smith.

Rep. Smith, who serves as the Special Representative on Human Trafficking for the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, authored the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 and its reauthorization in 2003, which made the United States among the first countries to outlaw human trafficking as a specific crime and also to provide aid to victims. Rep. Smith is also the author of the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005, HR 972, which is scheduled to be considered by the House Judiciary Committee on December 8. [Editor’s note: the bill was reported as amended by the Committee on Judiciary and placed on the Union Calendar. See report on status in Thomas, the Library of Congress’ legislative information Web site.]

“The OSCE’s action is consistent with HR 972 which would focus further attention on the need to ensure accountability of all who represent their countries abroad. I am hopeful that Congress will act swiftly to pass HR 972 to send the message that the world is not closing its eyes to this terrible crime,” added Smith.

“Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns, who headed our delegation to the OSCE Ministerial, and countries like Germany, Russia, Norway, Sweden, Armenia and Albania were instrumental in getting this decision through. I am deeply grateful for their support,” added Smith.

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