Finland signed the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings
Press release 325/2006
29 August, 2006
Ambassador Ann-Marie Nyroos signed the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings in Strasbourg today, on 29 August. The Convention was opened for signature at the Warsaw Summit of the Council of Europe on 16 May 2005.
The Convention has now been signed by 30 states, and Moldova and Romania have ratified it. The Convention will enter into force on the first day of the month following the expiration of three months after the date on which 10 signatories, including at least 8 member states of the Council of Europe, have ratified it. Of the Nordic countries, only Denmark has not yet signed the Convention.
The purpose of the Convention is to prevent and combattrafficking in human beings, also taking gender equality aspects into consideration. The Convention is intended to protect the human rights of the victims of trafficking and to ensure effective investigation and prosecution in cases of human trafficking offences. It also defines the basic principles for the protection and assistance of victims and witnesses.
The Human Trafficking Convention is applicable to all forms of trafficking in human beings, whethernational or transnational, and whether or not relatedto organised crime. Thus, the Convention supplements the provisions of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime and the Protocol thereto to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, i.e. the so-called Palermo Convention and one of its Protocols. The definition of trafficking in human beings in the Human Trafficking Convention is identical with that in the Protocol of the Palermo Convention.
The Parties are obligated to take different steps to intensify the prevention and combat of human trafficking. For example, they must arrange awareness raising and education campaigns as well as research and information. Furthermore, the Parties commit themselves to various measures to discourage the demand for services of victims of trafficking.
To protect the rights of victims of human trafficking the Parties shall develop, inter alia, methods to identify victims and measures to protect their private life. Their physical, psychological and social recovery shall be assisted, and they must be provided with a recovery and reflection period of at least 30 days, during which it shall not be possible to enforce any expulsion orders against them. The victims shall also be guaranteed the right to information on relevant court and administrative proceedings in a language that they can understand.
The Parties to the Convention commit to establish intentional trafficking in human beings as a criminal offence. Moreover, they shall consider criminalising the use of services of victims of trafficking. It must also be possible to hold a legal person liable for criminal offences mentioned in the Convention. Investigations into or prosecution of these offences must not be dependent upon the report or accusation made by a victim, at least when the offence has been committed in whole or in part on the territories of states Parties to the Convention. The Parties shall provide effective protection from potential retaliation or intimidation for victims, witnesses and those who cooperate with the judicial authorities, in particular during investigation and criminal prosecution of perpetrators. Child victims shall be afforded special protection measures.
The Convention encourages cooperation with civil society. A specific group of experts will be set up to monitor the implementation of the Convention.
Further information: Mia Spolander, Legal Officer, Unit for Human Rights Courts and Conventions, tel. +358 9 1605 5298