UN adopts RP-initiated resolution on trafficking

The United Nations has adopted a Philippine-initiated resolution that calls upon governments to criminalize all forms of trafficking and eliminate the demand for trafficked persons for all forms of sexual exploitation.

In a report to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the Philippine Mission to the United Nations said the resolution – one of the major and important resolutions to emanate from the Third (Social, Cultural and Humanitarian) Committee of the 61st UN General Assembly and co-sponsored by 81 member-states – was adopted on Friday.

The countries that co-sponsored the resolution include Afghanistan, Angola, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, Honduras, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, Panama, Senegal, Swaziland, Thailand, Togo and Venezuela.

Ambassador Lauro Baja, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, said the resolution discussed under Agenda Item 61(a) on Advancement of Women also urges governments to devise, enforce and strengthen effective gender- and age-sensitive measures to combat and eliminate all forms of trafficking in women and girls, including trafficking for sexual and economic exploitation.

"The resolution sees this as part of a comprehensive anti-trafficking strategy that integrates a human rights perspective and takes into account the situation of trafficked victims and to draw up appropriate national action plans," Baja said.

He added that the resolution also urges governments to take all appropriate measures to ensure that victims of trafficking are not penalized for being trafficked and that they do not suffer from revictimization as a result of actions taken by government authorities.

"The Philippine resolution encourages governments to prevent, within their legal framework and in accordance with their national policies, the prosecution of trafficking victims from being prosecuted for their illegal entry or residence," Baja said.

Governments are encouraged to take appropriate measures to eliminate the demand for sex tourism, especially pedophilic sex tourism, through all possible preventive action.

The resolution also invites governments to encourage media providers — including Internet service providers — to adopt or strengthen self-regulatory measures to promote the responsible use of media, particularly cyberspace, to eliminate the exploitation of women and children, which could foster trafficking. — Pia Lee-Brago