|1

Jasmine Ding
Modern-Day Slavery
Human trafficking refers to the illegal use of human beings to buy them somewhere else or force
them. Human trafficking includes sexual slavery, abducting and selling human beings, and
forcing them to work for debt. Human trafficking constitutes a severe violation of human rights
and freedoms. Of those who were trafficked, millions of trafficked women and children were
used as sex workers, and women were also taken to brothels, where they were forced to do sex
work. While imprisoned or kidnapped, they are beaten and injected with unknown drugs but are
not allowed to escape until they work as prostitutes to pay off their supposed debts.

According to International Labor Organization (ILO), more than 21 million people worldwide
are caught in the bondage of modern-day slavery. Of the above victims, the predominant
enslavement came from human trafficking (approximately 14.2 million, which translates into
68% of the total enslaved population). Indeed, more people are enslaved today than at any other
time. The chance of these trafficking victims returning to normality is slim, as 95% of them will
never see the outside world again.

Organizations such as Emmanuel Oselmota Foundation (EOF) work hard to end human
trafficking in Nigeria. EOF also provides necessities, education, and skills training for them.
Other organizations, such as Hermann Gmeiner’s Societas Socialis (SOS), collaborate with local
care networks worldwide to rescue and assist trafficking victims forced into bonded labor or
sexual exploitation. SOS provides a wide range of aftercare, including medical care, counseling,
vocational training, and education to help victims rebuild their lives. SOS has also established
preventative measures against human trafficking in vulnerable communities. These preventative
measures include educating communities about sex trafficking and helping to address the issues
of potential victimization.

Counter-measures
The United Nations Convention has established the following Protocol to combat transnational
organized crime, i.e., The Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons,
Especially Women and Children (also referred to as the Trafficking Protocol). The Protocol aims
to prevent and combat trafficking in persons, protect and assist trafficking victims, and promote
cooperation among states to fulfill the above objectives.

In response to the above Protocol, the Clinton administration passed The Victims of Trafficking
and Violence Protection Act of 2000. In addition to its applicability to U.S. citizens, it authorizes
the protection of undocumented immigrants who are victims of severe forms of trafficking and
violence. The law was later reauthorized by presidents Bush, Obama, and Trump. Under the
definition of the “Severe Forms of Trafficking in Persons” Protection Act of 2000, any minor
involved in a commercial sex act in the U.S. while under 18 qualifies as a trafficking victim,
even if no force, fraud, or coercion is involved.

Sex Trafficking and Its Prevention

Sex trafficking is generally conceived as an organized crime due to coercion, deception, and
 |2

forced slavery through debt. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM),
35% of trafficked victims rescued in 2011 were under 18. In the 2010 report, Thailand and
Brazil were cited as the worst countries for sex trafficking among children (i.e., those who do not
reach 18).

In its 2018 U.S. Trafficking in Persons Report, the United Stated cited Thaliana’s a Tier 2
country, meaning that Thailand had made a significant effort to eliminate trafficking despite its
inability to meet the minimum requirement fully.

Indeed, Thailand has enacted several laws against human trafficking. These include 1997 Anti-
Trafficking Act and 2008 Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act. Both Anti-Trafficking in Persons Acts
combat trafficking and rally for more investigations and prosecutions. Thailand has also entered
into regional agreements against human trafficking, including The Coordinated Mekong
Ministerial Initiative against Trafficking. The Anti-trafficking Commission remains vigilant in
cases of human trafficking. It makes every effort to protect the safety and freedom of victims,
return them to where they belong, and help them reintegrate into society. The commission also
works with victims to prosecute perpetrators, a complete settlement process.

In February 2008, the committee handed over 1.5 million signatures to the United Nations,
calling for help dealing with human trafficking. The commission’s founder, Steve Chalke, was
appointed Special Adviser to the U.N. Secretary-General on Community Action against
Trafficking in Persons.

A Global Solution

To combat trafficking, a global strategy needs to involve various areas, politics, and diplomacy.
On the diplomatic side, from improving women’s education in their countries of origin to giving
these girls a warning and a sense of prevention so that fewer girls get hurt. Politically, pay
national police who do an excellent job guarding against human trafficking. It is also taking the
problem further by increasing the number of groups and organizations dedicated to dealing with
human trafficking. Following these strategies, the United Nations has reaped many good results.
In 2000, the United Nations initiated the Protocol on the Prevention, Combating, and Punishment
of Trafficking in Persons, which established a victim-centered approach to combating trafficking.
So far, 177 countries have signed up. In 2005, the Council of Europe Convention on Action
against Trafficking in Human Beings signaled that the U.N. had received support and help from
Europe, which would facilitate subsequent rescues.

Active Communities Against Trafficking (ACT) has helped prevent trafficking, prosecute
traffickers, and protect victims. The ACT has made many significant contributions to addressing
human trafficking. Part of the ACT team comprises community members who have provided
many valuable resources and assistance. ACT provides a wealth of resources to other
organizations working to prevent human trafficking, helping them identify trafficking activities
and enabling police to track the whereabouts of human traffickers. Summarizes the impact of
trafficking on local communities and identifies ways to stop it. As the ACT program has
expanded across countries, human trafficking has decreased, and the ACT has led many people
to help fight trafficking.
 |3

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) of the U.N. Secretariat is the
coordinating body for emergencies and emergencies. OCHA assumes responsibility for
emergency relief through its committees and provides assistance and coordination to other parts
of the United Nations. OCHA believes that a fixed and coordinated system-wide approach to
humanitarian relief is essential to deliver assistance more effectively to those in need.

The United Nations’ Vision states that its mission is to strengthen and protect human dignity and
rights. However, countless incidences of human trafficking globally only show that the United
Nations has not succeeded in fulfilling its mission. Suggestions have been made to increase the
funding to the United Nations to strengthen its tracking and surveillance mechanisms, which
would facilitate the acquisition of evidence for subsequent prosecutions. More funding would
also enable the United Nations to employ swat officers to conduct trafficking operations better.
Still, all of the above implementations would require the consensus of participating states. Will
nations worldwide trust the United Nations enough to confer more power than it already has?
The above concerns are controversial topics for another heated debate.