Abstract
As is the case in many countries, in Ethiopia human trafficking causes multi-dimensional harmful consequences on individuals. With a view to addressing the problem, in 2012 Ethiopia acceded to the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. For the purpose of translating the requirements of the UN Trafficking Protocol into reality, the government has taken various steps including legislative measures. Proclamation No. 909/2015 (Prevention and Suppression of Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants Proclamation) is the most recent law adopted to deal with smuggling of migrants and human trafficking. The Proclamation comprises four key aspects: criminalization and prosecution; prevention; protection, rehabilitation and compensation; and cooperation. This article critically examines whether the criminalization and prosecution aspect of the Proclamation complies with international standards.
Highlights
It was agreed that adopting an international treaty to supplement the United Nations Convention on Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) is essential for addressing the problem
Human trafficking, which is dubbed“a contemporary form of slavery,”is a global challenge entailing serious human rights violations on individuals, especially women and children. Authorities such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the International Labor Organization have held that no country is free from the problem
The actual magnitude of human trafficking is unknown owing to the complexity and hidden nature of the problem, studies indicate that both external and in-country trafficking are pervasive in Ethiopia
Summary
Human trafficking is a growing challenge affecting virtually all countries. Between 2010 and 2012, victims of human trafficking with 152 different citizenships were identified, according to a 2014 global report produced by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The report further noted that at least 510 trafficking flows exist worldwide. Research conducted in 2006 under the sponsorship of the U.S government revealed that approximately 800,000 people are trafficked across national borders annually, excluding the millions trafficked within their own countries. Human trafficking is a lucrative business for traffickers enabling them to gain an estimated US$32 billion annually.. As the U.S State Department in its 2015 report presented, Ethiopia is a source and, to a lesser extent, destination and transit country for men, women and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking.. Woldemichael in her research notes that children who migrate to the Middle East face serious labor exploitation and other human rights violations.. Woldemichael in her research notes that children who migrate to the Middle East face serious labor exploitation and other human rights violations.20 The plight of these individuals is exacerbated by the fact that most of them do not fulfill the minimum age requirements to engage in work.. Khaled Ali Beydoun has identified that large numbers of Ethiopian women have been trafficked lured by false promises of good jobs, high salaries and a comfortable life Most of these women end up as modem-day slaves.. 23 Status of adherence to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the Protocols thereto as at 10 September 2014 (CTOC/COP/2014/CRP.1)
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