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Latest News and Press Releases
On 2 December 2008 United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Armenia marked the International Day for Abolition of Slavery.
04.12.2008
On 2 December 2008 United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Armenia marked the International Day for Abolition of Slavery.
Trafficking in human beings is considered a modern form of slavery - an increasing problem that involves both sexual exploitation and labor exploitation of its victims. Traffickers primarily target women because they are disproportionately affected by poverty and discrimination, factors that impede their access to employment, educational opportunities and other resources. Under the international law, governments are obligated to protect their citizens from being trafficked, through programs that aim at prevention and the protection of victims. Both government and non-governmental programs should identify human beings who are at risk for being trafficked and provide them with the necessary tools, such as briefing on employment opportunities, housing issues, medical and psychological counseling, and, possibly, childcare.
Mr. Dirk Boberg, UNDP Resident Representative said, “Trafficking in human beings is not new but the complexity of this phenomenon has grown exponentially in the past fifteen years and continues to grow in scope and magnitude each year. This is facilitated by a number of interconnected factors, including high rates of population growth in the developing world, the changing social and economic conditions that have brought large numbers of people from rural areas into urban centers, where they don’t have employment prospects, and others.” While noting that the UN has a central role in the fight against human trafficking, Mr. Dirk Boberg stressed the importance of developing an awareness and consciousness about the danger of human trafficking in Armenia.
Within the framework of UNDP implemented Anti-Trafficking Programme in Armenia, in cooperation with the government, certain efforts are being taken to facilitate the continued development of a national framework to tackle the problem of human trafficking at the policy and institutional levels, as well as provide direct assistance to victims of trafficking. The project includes capacity development of national duty-bearers in preventing human trafficking, capacity development of the law enforcement and the judiciary in their role as duty-bearers to investigate, prosecute and make final judgments on human trafficking cases, and strengthening of the local capacity to uphold the rights of the victims of trafficking as claim holders and, hence, protect and support their reintegration into society through victims assistance. The project is being implemented through a human rights based approach to programming, which aims to contribute directly to the realization of one or several human rights of victims of human trafficking as a marginalized, disadvantaged and excluded group.
As part of the awareness raising component of the project, televised mock trials were produced that offer an effective way to helping people know their rights and understand the implications of trafficking offences. Televised mock trials offer the audience an insight into the court proceedings, show what one may expect from submitting a court case, and introduce the viewers to the language of court proceedings.
UNDP is closely collaborating with different international organizations, such as the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in implementing its projects.
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