One in three victims of human trafficking are children.
This situation was pointed out by the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children for the UN Human Rights Council, Siobhán Mullally.
In development of the International Congress on Human Rights: Gender and Differential Approach, the Irish speaker made a x-ray of this problem in Colombia.
In his lecture on “Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation”, Mullaly also pointed out that, in Colombia, the majority of victims of this problem are women and the crime is committed mainly for the purposes of sexual exploitation.
The UN special rapporteur visited the cities of Bogotá, Cúcuta, Apartadó, Necoclí, Pasto and Ipiales, where she met first-hand some of the victims of this scourge and in this regard she stated that the implementation of laws, the protection of this population and the prevention of trafficking They constitute a very serious challenge, especially in rural, border areas and conflict zones.
Education is key, but Gender equality and sexual education based on human rights are also required.strengthen child protection systems and, in particular, provide care to victims of exploitation located in certain vulnerable communities, added the international guest.
It is also necessary to take into account the groups that are at greater risk due to discrimination, xenophobia, racism and phenomena such as migrationn.
Regarding the latter, the UN expert reported that, in Necoclí, Antioquia, she witnessed “desperate people who began their journey through the Darién”.
In this sense, Siobhán Mullally warned about the need to have the support and assistance of different governments in this humanitarian task, after warning that, mmigrants and refugees are also at risk because they move constantly.
On the other hand, the international expert referred to the failures in the system of care and monitoring of this problem Well, in many cases, victims have no opportunity to recover and are at risk of being trafficked again.
The obligation corresponds to the State. The victims do not recognize, do not identify their situation; Others are afraid due to reprisals that threaten their integrity, that of their community or that of their families.
Human trafficking represents a global challenge, it is a crime against human rights that requires mobilization towards actionn, implement anti-trafficking measures, prioritize leadership engagement, and ensure effective access to justice, recovery, and compensation for victims.