[women-rights] First OAS meeting on trafficking in persons

March 8, 2006 -- The first hemispheric meeting on trafficking in persons,
a phenomenon that includes human exploitation, smuggling and other human
rights violations, will take place in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
next week, under the auspices of the Organization of American States
(OAS).

During a brief ceremony today at OAS headquarters, Secretary General José
Miguel Insulza signed an agreement with Ambassador Jorge Valero, the
Permanent Representative of Venezuela to the OAS, to hold a Meeting of
National Authorities on Trafficking in Persons March 14-17 on Margarita
Island, Venezuela.

“Trafficking in persons is among the most brutal criminal activities in
our hemisphere,” the Secretary General said, adding that it generally
implies the exploitation of victims for sexual commerce or forced labor.

Insulza explained that experts from all the OAS member states will
exchange know-how and best practices in order to develop recommendations
for the next meeting of ministers of justice and for the OAS General
Assembly.

“This is a phenomenon that cannot be resolved unilaterally,” Insulza
emphasized, adding that the issue “certainly requires national efforts,
but also bilateral measures and multilateral cooperation.”

Ambassador Valero said that “this is a phenomenon that perverts
inter-American relations. Therefore, we must coordinate our efforts among
countries and authorities so that trafficking in persons, with all its
criminal components, may be combated and eventually reduced.”

Valero said the Margarita meeting—organized by the OAS with the support of
the Venezuelan Ministry of the Interior of Justice— “will be a new
opportunity to renew our commitments.” The Venezuelan diplomat underscored
that by joining efforts, it will be possible to “achieve a region where
justice, liberty and democracy prevail.”

At the OAS, the issue of combating trafficking in persons was initially
part of the work of the Inter-American Commission of Women, but it has
recently been incorporated under the Subsecretariat of Multidimensional
Security. During the Venezuela meeting, the experts will examine issues
such as legal international mechanisms; prevention and prosecution; and
protection and assistance available for trafficking victims, with the goal
of eventually implementing an integral, regional policy on the issue.

OAS Press release