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Study on child trafficking in the Nordic countries

Findings from previous UNICEF IRC studies on child trafficking, including in the European region, affirm the importance of understanding child trafficking in close connection with other child rights and protection issues. In 2009, the UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre (IRC) entered into a partnership with the National Committees for UNICEF in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden to conduct a study on child trafficking in these five Nordic countries.

The UNICEF IRC study is conceptualised within the broad framework of the implementation of international standards, in particular the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocols, the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Human Beings, Especially Women and Children as well as regional standards and instruments. The study further builds upon the advocacy experience of the National Committees for UNICEF in Nordic countries on child trafficking and related issues.

Research analyses the national and regional laws, policies and structures in place to prevent and respond to child trafficking and how they relate to national child protection systems. It will critically review responses to address and prevent child trafficking from the perspective of children's rights. It will seek to assess the impact of anti-trafficking responses on children who are at risk of trafficking, including: children who are socially or economically excluded, children who experience discrimination due to their ethnic or national origin, immigration status or other factors, as well as children who are victims of other forms of exploitation. Good practices of implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in the Nordic countries will be identified and examined with a view to assessing how these measures can contribute to more systemic approaches and prevention.

The study is being implemented through a multi-step process, beginning with a comprehensive literature review on child trafficking and related child rights and protection issues in the Nordic countries. The review covers official information sources from the Nordic Governments, ministries and institutions and official and alternative reports to UN Treaty Bodies and their respective Concluding Observations. Other important sources of information include studies and reports by non-governmental, international and regional organisations and academic and research institutions. In addition to qualitative data, quantitative data available from official sources from each of the countries will be collected and analysed. An in-depth analysis of legal and policy frameworks at national and regional levels will be conducted. In addition, key informant interviews, expert consultations and round table discussions will inform the analysis. The study is being implemented in close consultation with an Advisory Group comprising experts from regional organisations, international non-governmental organisations, academics and UNICEF officials.

The UNICEF IRC study will yield recommendations on how to strengthen systemic approaches to prevent child trafficking in all its forms and to protect children who have experienced exploitation, especially in the context of trafficking. While the recommendations will be formulated specifically for the Nordic countries, it is anticipated that the findings will also inform the broader regional and international debates on child trafficking. A final report will be published and launched in mid- 2011.

Publications

South Asia in Action: Preventing and responding to child trafficking. Analysis of anti-trafficking initiatives in the region
Publication

South Asia in Action: Preventing and responding to child trafficking. Analysis of anti-trafficking initiatives in the region

This publication provides a regional analysis of anti-trafficking measures relevant to children in the countries of South Asia. It assesses national legal and policy frameworks and provides a list of recommended actions for the application of a rights-based approach to child trafficking. Emphasis is placed on the indivisibility of human rights and the influence that trafficking, exploitation and abuse have on children’s enjoyment of rights and fundamental freedoms.
South Asia in Action: Preventing and responding to child trafficking. Child rights-based programme practices
Publication

South Asia in Action: Preventing and responding to child trafficking. Child rights-based programme practices

This publication acknowledges the adoption of many international standards and the promotion of regional agreements. At the same time, legislation against trafficking is often considered within the broader context of criminalizing prostitution, addressing organized crime and controlling migration. Although these are important issues, a focus only on these perspectives fails to adequately address the full complexity and dynamics of human trafficking, and fails to give distinct consideration to child trafficking. Existing laws therefore need to be amended and new laws enacted to fully conform with international standards.
South Asia in Action: Preventing and responding to child trafficking. Summary report
Publication

South Asia in Action: Preventing and responding to child trafficking. Summary report

This publication acknowledges the adoption of many international standards and the promotion of regional agreements. At the same time, legislation against trafficking is often considered within the broader context of criminalizing prostitution, addressing organized crime and controlling migration. Although these are important issues, a focus only on these perspectives fails to adequately address the full complexity and dynamics of human trafficking, and fails to give distinct consideration to child trafficking. Existing laws therefore need to be amended and new laws enacted to fully conform with international standards.
Child Trafficking in Europe: A broad vision to put children first
Publication

Child Trafficking in Europe: A broad vision to put children first

Within and across borders in Europe, children are trafficked into a variety of exploitative situations, violating their human rights and threatening their survival and development. This report assesses the legal, policy and implementation frameworks in place to address child trafficking in the region. Covering more than 50 countries/entities, the report investigates the complexity of the trafficking phenomenon, and maps trafficking patterns and targeted legal and policy responses.
Child Trafficking in Europe: A broad vision to put children first (summary)
Publication

Child Trafficking in Europe: A broad vision to put children first (summary)

Within and across borders in Europe, children are trafficked into a variety of exploitative situations, violating their human rights and threatening their survival and development. This report assesses the legal, policy and implementation frameworks in place to address child trafficking in the region. Covering more than 50 countries/entities, the report investigates the complexity of the trafficking phenomenon, and maps trafficking patterns and targeted legal and policy responses.
Trafficking in Human Beings, Especially Women and Children, in Africa (second edition)
Publication

Trafficking in Human Beings, Especially Women and Children, in Africa (second edition)

Trafficking of human beings affects every country in Africa for which data are available, either as countries of origin or destination. The report looks at information from 53 African countries and provides an analysis of the patterns, root causes, and existing national and regional policy responses and effective practices.
La traite des êtres humaines en Afrique, en particulier des femmes et des enfants
Publication

La traite des êtres humaines en Afrique, en particulier des femmes et des enfants

La traite des êtres humaines affecte presque toutes les nations d'Afrique pour lesquelles nous disposons de données, que ce soit les pays d'origine ou celles qui servent de destination. Le rapport étudie les informations recueillies dans 53 pays africains et procède à une analyse des schémas et des racines profondes de la traite, ainsi que des pratiques et mesures efficaces prises au niveau national et régional.
Child Trafficking in West Africa - Policy Responses
Publication

Child Trafficking in West Africa - Policy Responses

The trafficking of children is one of the gravest violations of human rights in the world today. Every year, hundreds of thousands of children are smuggled across borders and sold as mere commodities. Their survival and development are threatened, and their rights to education, to health, to grow up within a family, to protection from exploitation and abuse, are denied. This study focuses on a region that is badly affected by the phenomenon, aiming to increase understanding of this reality and maximize the effectiveness of measures to overcome it.