The first World Humanitarian Summit (WHS) is being held in Istanbul, Turkey. It will bring the global community together to join in solidarity with those affected by crises…
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is hosting a special event in conjunction with the WHS that should spotlight human trafficking as it relates to humanitarian situations. The UNODC’s aim, based on its mandate to target trafficking, is to focus on criminal justice. This event will look at best practices and lessons learned and decide what needs to be done to meet the needs of survivors.
In particular, the event will feature the Nobel Peace Prize Nominee and one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2016, Nadia Murad Basee Taha, a survivor of sexual trafficking. Ms Taha has testified before the Security Council and met with world leaders to discuss the plight of the Yezidis, the community to which she belongs. Speaking ahead of the event, Simone Monasebian, Director of UNODC’s New York Office, noted that it was critical to protect the already-vulnerable victims of humanitarian disasters from the further threat of human trafficking and smuggling. She stressed the need to mainstream the issue of human trafficking and smuggling of migrants into the broader policies and programmes of the UN, including humanitarian relief and assistance and natural disaster and post-conflict reconstruction.
The Secretary General talked recently about trafficking in persons in his report for the Summit ( One Humanity: Shared Responsibility )
It is a high-level event that responds to the increased momentum within the United Nations to address trafficking in persons following last year’s adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals which include tackling this crime in a number of targets contained in Goals 5.2 (Gender Equality),16.2 (Peace and Justice) and 8.7 (Decent Work).
At this Summit in Istanbul, many leaders from government, business, and civil society, will discuss actions and commitments to end crisis and alleviate risk and suffering.
To read the entire article about the first World Humanitarian Summit, click on the link below.
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