SUDAN: UN-BACKED DRIVE TO BOOST BIRTH REGISTRATION KICKS OFF

A United Nations-backed campaign to boost birth registration was launched today in Sudan, where less than one-third of children have a birth certificate, leaving the unregistered vulnerable to abuse and at risk of being denied an education and other social services.

"Birth registration itself protects many other human rights that contribute in turn to a child's successful development and protection," said Per Engebak, acting Representative to Sudan of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), ahead of the unveiling of the new programme in the capital, Khartoum, by UN agencies, the Government of National Unity and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

"Without documented proof of age, a child is exposed to the risk of under-age recruitment, to exploitative child labour and to the evil of trafficking," he said. "Without that simple piece of paper in their hands, children who are separated from their families in times of crisis may be unable to provide critical information that would help with their reunification."

Data on births is also crucial for identifying resource needs and budgeting for social services.

The two-day workshop that began today, with the support of the UN, will help to find how to bring down the barriers to increasing registrations across Sudan.
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UN EXPERT CALLS ON JAPAN TO BOOST ACTION IN COMBATING HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Although Japan recognizes the seriousness of the problem of human trafficking within its border, the East Asian nation must take more concrete action to fight the scourge, an independent United Nations human rights expert said today.

"Human trafficking affects every country of the world, and Japan is clearly affected as a destination country for many of those victims," said Joy Ngozi Ezeilo, the Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, wrapping up a six-day visit to the country.

The majority of trafficking is for prostitution and other forms of sexual exploitation in Japan, but she pointed out that trafficking for labour exploitation is also cause for great concern.

The country has adopted a National Plan of Action on trafficking. Further, Japan has granted victims special residence permits if they wish to stay in Japan and is also cooperating with sending countries, including Thailand, to support victims' reintegration in their home countries.

But Japan must ratify relevant international treaties; adopt a clearer identification procedure to lessen cases of victims' misidentification; and boost training and coordination of law enforcement officials, Ms. Ngozi Ezeilo said.

She also urged the country to take greater action at the regional level to combat trafficking and consider entering into bilateral agreements with source countries to address the problem on a long-term basis.

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UN JOINS FORCES WITH WORLD’S PARLIAMENTS TO COMBAT HUMAN TRAFFICKING

The United Nations today launched a manual for parliamentarians across the world aimed at helping lawmakers end the global scourge of modern-day slavery and human trafficking.

"Around the world, millions of people, usually women and children, are trapped in a modern form of slavery called human trafficking," Antonio Maria Costa, Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), said at the launch of the handbook.

Trafficking in persons is a form of slavery, a human rights violation that constitutes a crime against the individual and the State, and it must be punished by legislative means, UNODC said in a news release.

"Twenty-first century abolitionists are now needed to enact laws and take measures to set victims of trafficking free and stamp out a crime that shames us all," stressed Mr. Costa, as he called on parliamentarians to put an end to human trafficking at the 120th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Addis Ababa.

According to a UNODC report published in February, based on information provided by 155 Member States, two out of every five countries covered by the report have yet to convict anyone on trafficking charges.

Although no UNODC figures are available for the number of trafficking victims worldwide, the UN International Labour Organization (ILO) has said that two million people become enslaved annually.

UNODC reported that only one victim out of every 100 trafficking cases is rescued, and at present there are 22,500 cases of people being recovered worldwide. Also, nearly 80 per cent of reported trafficking comprises sexual exploitation, but sweatshops and child exploitation are also prevalent.

"Combating Trafficking in Persons: A Handbook for Parliamentarians"– created in collaboration with IPU – contains a compilation of international laws and good practices developed to combat human trafficking, and offers guidance on how national legislation can be brought in line with international standards.

The handbook not only outlines measures to prevent the crime but also to prosecute offenders and to protect victims, and includes advice on how to report on human trafficking and how to enlist civil society in the cause.
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