Wednesday 3 September 2008

Trapped And Neglected - Trafficked Children In South Asia Need The Law On Their Side

�All as well often child victims of sexual victimization and trafficking are damn and punished across South Asia, where weak national legislation tin can lead to further victimization of children, according to a UNICEF report launched recently.


The report "South Asia in Action: Preventing and responding to youngster trafficking" base that torah need to be reinforced to protect children after they have been trafficked, as easily as from being trafficked. Child trafficking is a neglected form of human trafficking, as children risk being picked out as undocumented migrants, juvenile delinquents or unaccompanied minors. South Asian children continue to be trafficked for multiple forms of sexual victimisation - including prostitution, sex tourism, shaver pornography, pedophilia - and labour victimisation in agriculture, factories, domestic servitude and begging, forced marriage, acceptation, military recruitment and debt release. There is a great deal a leaning to overlook the trafficking of boys for intimate exploitation.


Although few reliable estimates exist of the true magnitude of the phenomena, trafficking occurs both within and between countries in the region and also from South Asia to other regions including East Asia, Europe and the Gulf States.


The reputation recognizes that governments in South Asia have highly-developed national plans of activeness and some have adoptive laws that criminalize trafficking in human beings. But the legal framework needs to be strengthened further to protect children from all forms of trafficking and to assist child victims with legal and psychosocial support. Most outside and regional standards focus on adults. So far only two countries in South Asia, India and Sri Lanka, have gestural the Palermo Protocol, the first legal instrument to provide international definition of trafficking in human beings and specifically addresses children. However, non one South Asian body politic has ratified the Palermo Protocol.


The judicial process itself also necessarily to be reformed, according to the report, to make it more child-friendly. Legal remedies, such as witness protection schemes and in camera proceedings, to protect the privacy and psychological upbeat of children should be implemented. South Asian children are currently not well informed about the legal process and that stool lead to children by chance being criminalized.


Child trafficking across the region is not exclusively committed by organized criminal networks. It may involve friends, relatives and even parents of children.


There ar push and pull factors that draw children into being trafficked and poorness is by and large recognized as the most visible and widespread effort but, spell further research is required into the root causes, it is well documented that violence and ill-treat at home and in the residential area and indeed the sweetener of a better life means that children and young people can descend prey to traffickers.



The report "South Asia in Action: Preventing and responding to nestling trafficking" is being launched today as South Asian government and NGO representatives are gathering in Kathmandu to discourse the subject of sexual exploitation of children and adolescents. The South Asia Forum Regional Preparatory Consultation for the World Congress III against sexual exploitation of children and adolescents, due to be held in Rio de Janeiro in November 2008, presents a unequalled opportunity to reinforce the commitments made by governments in South Asia to ensure auspices of children from trafficking and sexual exploitation.

About UNICEF


UNICEF workings in over 150 countries and territories to assist children hold up and flourish, from former childhood through adolescence. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child wellness and nutrition, safe water system and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, development, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

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