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| Wednesday, 26 May 2004 |
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by Uditha Kumarasinghe "Global Human Trafficking has assumed the third largest form of illegal trade generating an annual profit between US dollars 5 to 7 billion with a minimum of 700,000 persons trafficked each year. This was revealed in a report submitted at the Regional Workshop on National Laws to Combat Trafficking in South Asia: Sharing of Research Studies jointly organised by the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), South Asia Regional Office and the American Centre for International Labour Solidarity, Sri Lanka supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) which commenced at the Trans Asia Hotel, Colombo yesterday. Sri Lanka like many other third world countries is affected by this global phenomenon with persons being trafficked both within and outside its borders, the UNIFEM Executive Summary report stated. At the workshop emphasis will be laid on reviewing the existing laws relating to trafficking and sexual exploitation against women in Sri Lanka in order to find out the gaps and the loopholes in the existing laws and to recommend necessary changes/additions to make the legal system more accountable. The two-day workshop will focus attention on the national researches undertaken to review national laws to combat trafficking in Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, and Nepal. Fifty two participants representing four countries attended this two-day regional workshop which will conclude today (May 26). The Report further states: "Although statistics are scarce, media reports frequently highlight incidents of human trafficking occurring to and from Sri Lanka. Both external and internal trafficking in Sri Lanka take place mainly during the process of labour migration. According to the Executive Summary, the review of laws is based on the definition of trafficking outlined in the "Protocol to prevent, suppress and punish trafficking in persons, Especially Women and Children" (UN Trafficking Protocol) which supplemented the United Nations Convention against Trans-national Organised Crimes introduced in 2000. |
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