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Doc. 8744
19 May 2000
Campaign against the trafficking of children
Motion for a recommendation
presented by Mrs Pozza Tasca and others
This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only the members who have signed it |
The Assembly,
Having regard to the fact that the problem of illegal immigration has, in recent years, highlighted the dramatic problem of the trafficking of human beings for the purposes of economic and sexual exploitation;
Given that this kind of exploitation, especially in the cases of young women and children, may be identified with a real form of enslavement, as the minors have their identity documents removed from them, are stripped of their legal identity and are reduced to a state of complete humiliation and human abjection;
Whereas this problem extends well beyond the problem of illegal immigration, because, in the event of trafficking, exploitation begins after arrival at the destination;
Having verified that the International Organization for Migration has itself denounced a complex problem of international criminal management of trafficking, involving continuous, organised and programmed movements, as well as the "integration" of young boys and girls who are constantly added to the "human pool" available;
Also considering that some newspapers have denounced the failure of certain countries, such as Turkey and Greece (which has also been issued with a reminder by the Schengen committee), to comply with the Schengen agreements, countries accused of providing a logistical supply base for the new routes followed by desperate people;
Referring to international agreements, and particularly to resolutions on the rights of the child and to specific aspects concerning the trading of human beings, as well as to the Agenda for Action adopted in Stockholm on 18 October 1996 by the World Congress against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children;
Also considering the Council of Europe's plan for joint action in pursuance of Article K.3, paragraph 2(b), of the Treaty on European Union, as well as the results of the intergovernmental conference on reform of Title VI of the same treaty, namely the inclusion of the fight against the trafficking of human beings in the matters of common interest listed under Article K.1;
Also bearing in mind Resolution 1099 (1996), Order No 526 (1996), Recommendation 1325 (1997), the Opinion of the Steering Committee for Equality between Women and Men (CDEG), the Opinion of the European Committee on Migration (CDMG), the Opinion of the European Committee on Crime Problems (CDPC) and the Opinion of the European Committee on Legal Co-operation (CDCJ);
Pending the preparation of an action plan by the Multisectoral Group on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings for the Purpose of Sexual Exploitation (EG-S-TS), set up by the Committee of Ministers in response to Recommendation 1325 (Doc. 8246);
Whereas the Diplomatic Conference held in Rome to set up a permanent International Criminal Court included the enslavement of boys and girls in the international trafficking of human beings as a crime against humanity, under Article 5 (2) of the court's Statute;
Considering that the "trafficking" of human beings is the most serious violation of human rights, and that the Council of Europe has a moral obligation to defend and to restore the human dignity of the victims of trafficking,
Recommends that the Committee of Ministers start a campaign, in Council of Europe member states, against the trafficking of human beings, especially children, making provision for:
1. the promotion of active co-operation between Council of Europe member states with a view to developing ongoing, co-ordinated action to prevent and to combat trafficking, and to monitoring the implementation of the corresponding policies;
2. support and co-operation among member states in the context of research activities intended to lead to the formulation of policies enabling this problem to be combated, so that there is guaranteed scope for comparing data at European and international levels;
3. careful monitoring of the measures adopted at national level, particularly concerning the definition of an offence, the penalties applied, administrative measures and the appropriate investigative powers and techniques enabling the offence concerned to be effectively prosecuted;
4. the harmonisation of national legislation;
5. a guarantee that due consideration is taken of the particular situation and requirements of the victims of trafficking in the information, education and training programmes run for the authorities responsible for combating trafficking, such as Ministries, police forces, judicial authorities, visa-issuing authorities and all the public bodies in the various states with specific responsibilities in this sphere;
6. increased judicial co-operation between states, inter alia through the setting up of a Council of Europe member states' data bank.
Moreover, the Assembly requests its member states:
1. to give their full support to the campaign against enslavement, assigning to it appropriate financial resources and setting up national committees to prevent trafficking and to offer support to its victims;
2. to include in their national legislation the crime of "trafficking in human beings" - as a violation of human rights - and of enslavement, and also take measures against those who are responsible for it to prevent and to prohibit trafficking.
Signed : 1
Pozza Rasca, Italy, LDR
Alis Font, Andorra, NR
Belohorska, Slovakia, EDG
Besostri, Italy, SOC
Evangelisti, Italy, SOC
Fehr, Switzerland, LDR
Frey, Switzerland, LDR
Gross, Switzerland, SOC
Lupu, Romania, EPP/CD
Mignon, France, EDG
Nabholz-Haidegger, Switzerland, LDR
Pinggera, Italy, EPP/CD
Polenta, Italy, EPP/CD
Reimann, Switzerland, LDR
Risari, Italy, EPP/CD
Schmied, Switzerland, LDR
Vella, Malta, EPP/CD
1 SOC: Socialist Group
EPP/CD: Group of the European People’s Party
EDG: European Democratic Group
LDR : Liberal, Democratic and Reformers’ Group
UEL: Group of the Unified European Left
NR: not registered in a group