CATCH Conference Outline:
- Introduction: The introduction
will briefly outline the conference and address some of the basic
information about human trafficking including:
• Definition of trafficking
(from the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking
in Persons)
• Trafficking vs. Migrant Smuggling
• Consent of victims
• Root causes
• A look at who the traffickers are
• Challenges for policy makers
• Challenges for law enforcement
• Challenges for the criminal justice system and the
judiciary
• Challenges for non-governmental organizations and
service providers
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- International legal framework:
This topic examines the relevant international law and emerging
legal framework for trafficking in persons. Trafficking in persons
is often a transnational crime, and as such governments must work
together to combat the crime. The legislative and procedural complexities
of individual nations can make the process difficult, thus transnational
cooperation favors and/or requires a uniform reliance on international
or regional conventions and agreements. Thus, the UN conventions
and regional agreements provide the framework for both setting
up a domestic response to trafficking in persons ,as well as state
cooperation internationally. This topic will examine the UN Convention
against Transnational Organized Crime, the UN Protocol to Prevent,
Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, the UN Protocol against
Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air, and various other
conventions and protocols on the international level. In particular,
the topic will look at the operation and implementation of each,
as well as the ways they work together to create an effective
global response to trafficking in persons.
- Problem Assessment and Strategy
Development: This topic examines the need to assess the
problem of human trafficking as it presents itself in a specific
context and to develop an effective strategy and capacity for
development of strategies. It looks at assessment of the national
situation as well as the creation of regional and national strategies
and a multi-agency approach to interventions.
- Legislative Framework: This
topic will examine the need to proceed with the necessary law
reform. The topic covers the criminalization of the trafficking
offense, and other offenses that are related to trafficking such
as abduction and money laundering.
- International Criminal Justice Cooperation:
This topic will examine the need to remove obstacles to international
criminal justice cooperation. The shortcomings of national systems
working alone and of existing cooperation patterns have been exposed
in many States. In contrast, some of the best results in the prosecution
of trafficking in persons have been obtained when the law enforcement
and prosecution agencies have been able to work together locally,
nationally, and internationally. The topic focuses in particular
on extradition treaties, mutual legal assistance between States,
and cooperation agreements.
- Law Enforcement and Prosecution:
This topic will examine the need to develop and implement effective
law enforcement and judicial procedures and practices. Effective
procedures and practices address the geographic, structural and
commercial aspects of the crime. Efficient law enforcement and
prosecution strategies are based on solid intelligence between
agencies and between jurisdictions. These issues as well as different
investigation strategies and the importance of respecting and
protecting the rights of victims of trafficking are the emphasis
of this topic.
- Victim Identification: This
topic will examine the need to set in place measures to facilitate
the identification of victims of trafficking. This information
includes the non-criminalization of victims of trafficking, tips
and checklists to aid in identification, and information on interviewing
and certification of victims.
- Immigration status of victims and
their repatriation and resettlement: This topic will examine
the need to address the question of the immigration status of
victims of trafficking and adopt measures to facilitate their
repatriation and resettlement. Victims will often lack resident
status in the State and will fear deportation. This topic addresses
the harm in immediate deportation – both to the victim and
the investigation – and emphasizes several alternate strategies
including the allowance of temporary or even permanent resident
status for the victims of trafficking.
- Victim Protection and Assistance:
This topic will examine the need to offer effective protection
and assistance to victims. Included is information on access to
information about legal representation, assistance to adult and
child victims, medical and psychological assistance, and rehabilitation
and restitution for victims.
- Prevention of Trafficking in Persons:
This topic will examine the need to carry out effective public
education and other measures to prevent human trafficking. The
topic will address raising awareness and strategies for discouraging
demand and eliminating gender-based discrimination.
- Monitoring and Evaluation:
This topic will examine the need to put in place the necessary
monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to measure the progress achieved.
Included will be information on setting up a monitoring procedure
as well as guidelines on research and analysis.
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