Launch of the OSCE publication: “Policy responses to technology-facilitated trafficking in human beings: Analysis of current approaches and considerations for moving forward”
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Information and communication technology has had a tremendous influence on the crime of trafficking in human beings (THB) in the last decade. Traffickers successfully misuse technology during all the stages of the THB crime and the problem is growing. Over the past two years, the COVID pandemic has accelerated the mainstreaming of technology in the commission of human trafficking, resulting in new forms of exploitation, expanded misuse of popular social media and websites, and the worst year on record for online child sexual abuse.
State authorities have the primary obligation to prevent and combat THB, including technology-facilitated exploitation. However, until now governments have typically delegated the responsibility and regulation to the technology sector. That approach no longer works: existing laws and regulatory approaches do not match today’s reality and did not prevent the surge in online exploitation and harm. Governments must take policy action to update the global policy framework and counter the exploding challenge of online exploitation.
This event will discuss the newly released OSCE publication “Policy responses to technology-facilitated trafficking in human beings: Analysis of current approaches and considerations for moving forward”. This report provides an analysis of how technology-facilitated THB has been approached from the perspective of policy and legislation across the OSCE participating States. The report examines the practices adopted by the private sector and civil society organizations as well as the accelerating shift toward government-led responses. The publication also provides a set of recommendations for the OSCE participating States on how to use policies and legislation to combat THB while respecting other fundamental rights such as privacy and freedom of expression.
Speakers
- Helga Maria Schmid, OSCE Secretary General
- Valiant Richey, OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for CTHB
- Hon. Dame Diana Johnson DBE, Member of the UK Parliament
- Haley McNamara, Director, International Centre on Sexual Exploitation
- Bronagh Munro, BBC journalist
Please register for the event here - https://bit.ly/345YNBR