Media Home
UN Web TV
UN Audiovisual Library
UN PhotoUnifeed
UN / HUMAN TRAFFICKING
STORY: UN / HUMAN TRAFFICKING
TRT: 03:05
SOURCE: UNIFEED-UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 08 SEPTEMBER 2016, NEW YORK CITY
RECENT – NEW YORK CITY
1.Wide shot, exterior, UN Headquarters
08 SEPTEMBER 2016, NEW YORK CITY
2.Wide shot, press briefing
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Matthew Rycroft, Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the United Nations:
“There are 45.8 million people are living in modern slavery. No state is immune from by this international crime. We know that modern slavery crosses national boundaries, so obviously countries need to work together to tackle it both domestically and in joint operations across the world. We also know that conflict creates an environment in which the worst elements can flourish. Da’ash is conducting a campaign of violence and terror in Syria and Iraq, can it is carrying out appalling atrocities against communities including Muslims, Yezidis and Christians. Boko Haram exploiting the instabilities of conflicts to enslave people. Conflict situations increase the vulnerability of the people, particularly women and girls to being trafficked. Armed actors traffic civilians to form tasks to their forces, including child soldiering domestic labor and sexual servitude.”
4. Med shot, journalists
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Christian Wenaweser Permanent Representative of Liechtenstein to the United Nations:
“Based on the fact that human trafficking is not just a human rights crisis, that is also one of the big illegal business models that exists in the world. And this is something that we believe certainly needs to be addressed and also has a very direct link to arm conflict situations, that some of the groups that especially that Matthew has referenced, that use this as tools of their political economy of terrorism. But we believe it is worth being looking at in particular, and we also believe nationally we can bring in a lot of our expertise is the issue of financial flows, the issue of data sharing and the possibilities of financial investigations in order to stop and disrupt this kind of networks.
6. Wide shot, press briefing
7. SOUNDBITE (English) James Cockayne, Head of the United Nations University Office in New York:
“Certainly there are strong evidence that social media are being used to both recruit or trade enslave the Yezidis and other people. WhatsApp was used recently in a case of trading displaced Syria woman in Lebanon. We know some of these companies already are being proactive to address this problem, for example when an attempt was made by the Islamic State member recently to trade and enslave women, that information was taken down within hours. But there is clear that there are more the technology sectors could do if they are given appropriated regulatory guidance by the member states and clearly the Security Council has a potential role here in providing the due diligence, in working with those sectors to provide those due diligence guidance."
A report detailing ideas for action by the Security Council and the financial, technology and recruitment sectors to fight human trafficking in conflict was published today by the United Nations University (UNU) and supported by the governments of the United Kingdom and Liechtenstein.
Noting that there are 45.8 million people living in modern slavery, British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft told reporters today (8 Sep) in New York that “no state is immune from by this international crime,” adding that as modern slavery crosses national boundaries, “countries need to work together to tackle it both domestically and in joint operations across the world.”
Concerning the increase in the vulnerability of people due to conflict situations, Rycroft said “Da’ash is conducting a campaign of violence and terror in Syria and Iraq, and it is carrying out appalling atrocities against communities including Muslims, Yezidis and Christians. Boko Haram exploiting the instabilities of conflicts to enslave people. Conflict situations increase the vulnerability of the people, particularly women and girls to being trafficked. Armed actors traffic civilians to form tasks to their forces, including child soldiering, domestic labor and sexual servitude.”
Emphasizing that human trafficking is not just a human rights crisis, but also "one of the biggest illegal business models that exists in the world", Liechtenstein Ambassador Christian Wenaweser said “this is something that we believe certainly needs to be addressed and also has a very direct link to arm conflict situations, that some of the groups that especially that Matthew has referenced, that use this as tools of their political economy of terrorism. But we believe it is worth being looking at in particular, and we also believe nationally we can bring in a lot of our expertise is the issue of financial flows, the issue of data sharing and the possibilities of financial investigations in order to stop and disrupt this kind of networks.”
Asked about a report of over 5,000 Yazidis that are thought to have been enslaved by ISIL, the head of the UN University James Cockayne said “certainly there are strong evidence that social media are being used to both recruit or trade enslave the Yezidis and other people. WhatsApp was used recently in a case of trading displaced Syria woman in Lebanon. We know some of these companies already are being proactive to address this problem, for example when an attempt was made by the Islamic State member recently to trade and enslave women, that information was taken down within hours."
On the Security Council’s role to provide guidance to the technology sectors, Cockayne said “there is clearly that there are more the technology sectors could do if they are given appropriated regulatory guidance by the member states and clearly the Security Council has a potential role here in providing the due diligence, in working with those sectors to provide those due diligence guidance.”
The report Fighting Human Trafficking in Conflict: 10 Ideas for Security Council Action was supported by the governments of the United Kingdom and Liechtenstein, also identifies steps by which UN personnel in conflict zones could increase protection for potential victims, especially those displaced by conflict.
Download
There is no media available to download.
