Human Trafficking

Human Trafficking

Following the 1921 International Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Women and Children, international and domestic legislation on human trafficking has increased, especially within the past decade. Although regulations have been set forth, the United Nations GIFT (Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking) has estimated that over two and a half million people are in forced labor, affecting one hundred and sixty-one countries. Therefore, the Czech Republic appreciates all the legislation pertaining to the prevention and the prosecution of human trafficking and stresses that action must be taken to further international consensus and legislation to enforce human rights and cease human trafficking.

In conjunction with Amnesty International and other Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), such as the Centre for Peace and Development and La Strada, the Czech Republic has made strong efforts to prevent human trafficking and to protect victims of the appalling crime against humanity. The government of the Czech Republic funded the Program of Support and Protection of Victims of Trafficking in Human Beings, which was available for Czech victims and foreign victims. Additionally, the Czech government funded NGOs with four hundred thousand dollars for the provision of care to trafficking victims. Anti-trafficking efforts have been organized thought the Ministry of Interior and though the Inter-ministerial Coordination Group for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings. The current National Strategy is implementing provisions from international conventions on human trafficking, especially the Palermo Protocol, into Czech conditions and has been approved by the United Nations General Assembly by Resolution 849. Domestically, Czech Republic revised it's penal code to prohibit all forms of trafficking in persons under new Section 168, setting punishments of up to sixteen years of imprisonment. During the reporting period of 2011, police conducted over twenty-four investigations of thirty-five offenders, which was an increase from the amount of people prosecuted in 2010.

The Czech Republic has previously been called a "destination country" for human trafficking. Therefore, the Czech Republic has devised a multi-faceted plan, starting at the grassroots level, which will further decrease human trafficking, as well as preventing it. The Czech Republic suggests that educational centers be built to educate civilians on human trafficking and their human rights that are defined by the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Cairo Declaration of Human Rights in Islam. International legislation needs to be created and ratified by all member states that furthers the monitoring, regulation, investigation, and prosecution of labor agencies to ensure that foreign workers are not exploited through debt bondage, which is a problem within eastern European