| The United Nations along with other
| |
| | Costa said that because of weak law
|
| organizations has proposed a new global
| |
| | enforcement in some countries, the
|
| fund to fight international human
| |
| | problem continues to grow.
|
| trafficking and forced labor, which it
| |
| | A recent report by the U.N. Office of on
|
| says have grown to epidemic proportions.
| |
| | Drugs and Crime identifies Thailand,
|
| The report was launched in London Monday,
| |
| | China, Nigeria, Albania, Bulgaria,
|
| a day after the bicentenary of the
| |
| | Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine among the
|
| abolition of the trans-Atlantic slave
| |
| | countries that are the greatest sources
|
| trade in the British Empire. From London,
| |
| | of trafficked persons.
|
| Tendai Maphosa has more on the story for
| |
| | Mary Goudie, a member of the House of
|
| VOA.
| |
| | Lords, hosted the launch. In an interview
|
| Slavery is a booming international trade
| |
| | with VOA, she praised the initiative for
|
| that involves several million people a
| |
| | raising awareness about the issue.
|
| year being trafficked, according to
| |
| | "By having this initiative here today in
|
| Antonio Maria Costa, executive director
| |
| | London, it starts once again to profile
|
| of the U.N. Office of Drugs and Crime.
| |
| | what is happening round the world," she
|
| Costa announced the new global initiative
| |
| | said. "If we didn't have this initiative
|
| against slavery in London.
| |
| | people would not know that this is
|
| The United Nations estimates that, at any
| |
| | happening. Also, people will realize that
|
| given time, 2.5 million people are being
| |
| | they have to open their eyes to it."
|
| trafficked and enslaved, although the
| |
| | Goudie added that the British government
|
| crime is frequently unreported and many
| |
| | had shown its commitment to the fight
|
| estimates of the number of victims are
| |
| | against human trafficking by signing up
|
| far higher.
| |
| | to the European Convention on Human
|
| The U.N.'s Costa says the trade in humans
| |
| | Trafficking last Friday. The agreement
|
| is now a market worth $30 to $40 billion
| |
| | gives victims such as women forced into
|
| and often is linked to organized crime.
| |
| | prostitution the right to stay in Britain
|
| He says that while there is finally a
| |
| | for at least 30 days after escaping the
|
| growing awareness on the issue, more
| |
| | grasp of traffickers.
|
| needs to be done. The U.N. Protocol
| |
| | A series of events throughout the world
|
| Against Trafficking in Persons, which has
| |
| | will culminate in Vienna with an
|
| been ratified by 110 countries, makes
| |
| | International Conference against Human
|
| trafficking an international crime. But
| |
| | Trafficking in November.
|
