E/2002/68/Add.1
Recommended Guidelines on Human Rights and
Human Trafficking
Guideline 1: Promotion and protection of human rights
Violations of human rights are both a cause and a consequence of trafficking in
persons. Accordingly, it is essential to place the protection of all human rights
at the centre of any measures taken to prevent and end trafficking. Antitrafficking measures should not adversely affect the human rights and dignity
of persons and, in particular, the rights of those who have been trafficked,
migrants, internally displaced persons, refugees and asylum-seekers.
States and, where applicable, intergovernmental and non-governmental
organizations, should consider:
1.
Taking steps to ensure that measures adopted for the purpose of preventing and
combating trafficking in persons do not have an adverse impact on the rights and
dignity of persons, including those who have been trafficked.
2.
Consulting with judicial and legislative bodies, national human rights
institutions and relevant sectors of civil society in the development, adoption,
implementation and review of anti-trafficking legislation, policies and programmes.
3.
Developing national plans of action to end trafficking. This process should be
used to build links and partnerships between governmental institutions involved in
combating trafficking and/or assisting trafficked persons and relevant sectors of civil
society.
4.
Taking particular care to ensure that the issue of gender-based discrimination
is addressed systematically when anti-trafficking measures are proposed with a view
to ensuring that such measures are not applied in a discriminatory manner.
5.
Protecting the right of all persons to freedom of movement and ensuring that
anti-trafficking measures do not infringe upon this right.
6.
Ensuring that anti-trafficking laws, policies, programmes and interventions do
not affect the right of all persons, including trafficked persons, to seek and enjoy
asylum from persecution in accordance with international refugee law, in particular
through the effective application of the principle of non-refoulement.
7.
Establishing mechanisms to monitor the human rights impact of antitrafficking laws, policies, programmes and interventions. Consideration should be
given to assigning this role to independent national human rights institutions where
such bodies exist. Non-governmental organizations working with trafficked persons
should be encouraged to participate in monitoring and evaluating the human rights
impact of anti-trafficking measures.
8.
Presenting detailed information concerning the measures that they have taken
to prevent and combat trafficking in their periodic reports to the United Nations
human rights treaty-monitoring bodies. 4
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The human rights treaty-monitoring bodies include the Human Rights Committee; the
Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; the Committee on the Elimination of
Discrimination against Women; the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination; the
Committee against Torture; and the Committee on the Rights of the Child.
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