UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking in the Greater Mekong sub-Region (UNIAP)

1. UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking in the Greater Mekong sub-Region (UNIAP) Tourism & Trafficking By Sverre Molland

2. UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking in the Greater Mekong sub-Region (UNIAP) Overview • What is Human Trafficking? • Trafficking vs. migration, people smuggling & prostitution • Situation and response in the Lao PDR • Tourism and Trafficking: trends and responses

3. UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking in the Greater Mekong sub-Region (UNIAP) What is Human Trafficking? • Trafficking is the… • Recruitment • Transport • Transfer • Harboring • Receipt of persons(s)

4. UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking in the Greater Mekong sub-Region (UNIAP) What is Human Trafficking? • …by the means* of… • Threat; use of force; coercion; • Abduction; Fraud; Deception • Abuse of power; Abuse of position of vulnerability • Giving or receiving payments or benefits • * For trafficked victims who are children, the “means” are irrelevant as they by definition cannot consent

5. UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking in the Greater Mekong sub-Region (UNIAP) What is Human Trafficking? • …for the purpose of exploitation • Which includes: • The exploitation of prostitution of others • Other forms of sexual exploitation • Forced labor services • Slavery or practices similar to slavery • Servitude • Removal of organs • Exploitation = a continuum

6. UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking in the Greater Mekong sub-Region (UNIAP) What is Human Trafficking? When anyoneelement fromeach of the threeslidesabove can be appliedtogetherto the situation of an individual, the individual is considered to be ‘trafficked’ This definition is based on the UN Protocol, which is becoming the consensus definition in the Mekong and East Asia

7. UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking in the Greater Mekong sub-Region (UNIAP) What is Human Trafficking? • Loss of Control • Vulnerability • Power relations • How does this relate to a tourist?

8. UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking in the Greater Mekong sub-Region (UNIAP) What causes Human Trafficking? • Demand for exploitative labor and services • low status, low paid workers; commercial sex; CSEC • 3 Ds: dirty, dangerous, or degrading work • Low profit margins / work difficult to fill w/ voluntary labour • Supply of vulnerable potential victims • Relative poverty; family abuse; lack of education; lack of citizenship; armed conflict; consumerism; boredom • Opportunities for traffickers • Profit; low risk; impunity • Laws & Polices fail to stop it from happening • Lack of laws, lack of law enforcement, corruption, irregular labor migration

9. UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking in the Greater Mekong sub-Region (UNIAP) Differences between trafficking, people smuggling & migration • Trafficking is for the purpose of exploitation • Migration and people smuggling is not for the purpose of exploitation • A trafficked victim: no informed consent • A smuggled migrant consents to the movement • Policies that attempt to “crack down” on migration can increase trafficking

10. UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking in the Greater Mekong sub-Region (UNIAP) Community Exploitation

11. UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking in the Greater Mekong sub-Region (UNIAP) Differences between trafficking and prostitution • Prostitution and trafficking: subject to emotional debate worldwide • Trafficking always implies some form of exploitation • Not all prostitution is considered exploitative • many “levels” of exploitation within the sex industry.

12. UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking in the Greater Mekong sub-Region (UNIAP) Differences between trafficking and prostitution (cont.) • Trafficking involves deception and coercion • Not all sex workers are deceived and coerced • People are trafficked into other forms of exploitation which is not sex work. • Policies that attempt to “crack down” on prostitution can increase trafficking

13. UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking in the Greater Mekong sub-Region (UNIAP) Lao PDR: the situation • Context of seasonal migration • Initial movement often voluntary • Primarily a lowland phenomenon • (not the poorest of the poor) • Many sectors • Prostitution • Domestic work • Fisheries • Increase in internal trafficking?

14. UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking in the Greater Mekong sub-Region (UNIAP) Lao PDR: the situation (cont) • Trafficking for sex (demand mostly local) • Most victims are girls… • …but men also get trafficked • Income generation and awareness raising will not alone curb the problem • Socioeconomic disparities are huge • “Awareness” not always the problem • Need to address demand • Displacement (push down pop up)

15. UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking in the Greater Mekong sub-Region (UNIAP) Lao PDR: Responses – Implementation • 0-12 projects in less than four years… • Prevention • Awareness raising / Income generation • Protection • Repatriation & Reintegration, protection networks, safe & legal migration • Law Enforcement (demand reduction) • Specialized police unit • Research

16. UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking in the Greater Mekong sub-Region (UNIAP) Lao PDR: Responses–Legislation & Policy • Coordinating mechanisms: • National Ministerial Committee on Trafficking • National Commission for Mothers and Children • Regional MOU on Trafficking • Coordinated Mekong Ministerial Initiative against Trafficking (COMMIT) • Legislation • New trafficking Law • TOC, CRC, CEDAW, ILO Convention 182 • National Plan of Action on Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children • Bilateral MOUs: Lao / Thailand

17. UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking in the Greater Mekong sub-Region (UNIAP) Lao PDR: Partners • International Agencies • UNIAP • UNICEF • UNESCO • IOM • ILO • Consortium • Save the Children UK • Save the Children Australia • Village Focus International • ARCPPT (Ausaid) • Norwegian Church Aid • Childwise • Government Agencies • Ministry of Public Security • Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare • Ministry of Justice • Ministry of Foreign Affairs • Lao Women Union • Lao Youth Union • Lao Trade Union • Three more projects being developed

18. UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking in the Greater Mekong sub-Region (UNIAP) Tourism and trafficking - situation • Limited knowledge (no officially known cases in Laos) • Increasing concern in the region • Mostly for CSEC (well organized) • Child Sex tourism = Commercial sexual exploitation of children by persons who travel from their own country to another – usually less developed country - to engage in sexual acts with children • Lack of knowledge about exploiters • (their attitudes, their awareness etc.) • Displacement (push down pop up)??

19. UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking in the Greater Mekong sub-Region (UNIAP) Tourism and trafficking - responses • Main focus: CSEC • 1st & 2nd Congress against CSEC set international standards. • Code of Conduct • (ECPAT, UNCIEF, World Tourism Organization) • Training programs with hotel industry • (ACCOR, Childwise, ECPAT, ESCAP) • The ASEAN Travelers Code(?)

20. UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking in the Greater Mekong sub-Region (UNIAP) Questions to consider • What (and who) is a sex tourist? • Do tourists contribute to demand for trafficking in other sectors than sex work? (eg. Street children) • Is this happening in Laos already? Do we think it might happen here in the future? • What role, if any, does the tourism sector have?