COATNET statement for the Report On Prevention Of Human Trafficking by the UN Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, 2010

COATNET is an ecumenical network of organisations working with Christian Churches (Catholic, Protestant, Anglican, Orthodox) which share a joint commitment to working together internationally, at regional and national level in combating human trafficking and in assisting people who are or have been trafficked. It is a project integrated in the working structures of Caritas Internationalis, a global Confederation of 164 members.

COATNET affiliates, present in over 30 countries around the world counter trafficking by implementing prevention, providing assistance to the trafficked and advocating for policy changes. They have committed themselves to adopt and apply a human rights approach to combating human trafficking and share the following experiences, good practices and challenges emerging in the process of the development of rights-based responses.

COATNET aims to add value to the individual action of its affiliates and to mobilize the potential and the resources of churches and their organisations.

Prevention is one of the main tools in the fight against trafficking in human beings. We emphasize the importance of developing education policies, which constitute a way to sensitize society and persons at risks, and also the professionals working against trafficking and other professionals such as journalists, lawyers, judges or medical doctors, etc. who may meet persons at risk or victims of trafficking.

We believe that

Trafficking in Human Beings is an issue for education on a large scale

Trafficking in human beings should therefore be dealt with via:

􀂾 educational programmes on human rights
􀂾 sexual educational programmes
􀂾 educational programmes, which particularly insist on equality between women and men in society
􀂾 the promotion of educational programmes on children’s rights
􀂾 awareness raising campaigns for risk groups and
􀂾 awareness raising for journalists, doctors and other professions potentially in contact with victims of trafficking

To be efficient, these preventive actions require curricula development, training of teachers and the implementation, at national level, of a concrete prevention policy, including education, in association with Human Rights associations and other non-governmental organisations.

Safe migration and the development of legal migration channels for both skilled and unskilled labour force should be promoted, as a means to prevent trafficking

Movement of people in search for a better life has to be acknowledged as a fact. It is a dimension of human nature and over centuries people moved from one place to another to seek a better life.

Trafficking in human beings is essentially linked to the lack of democratic development in some countries, social inequalities in and between societies, inequalities between men and women as well as the lack of opportunities for safe migration.

Thus, our organisations promote the development and implementation of legal channels of migration that allow people to migrate without risking their lives. These channels should be open to both highly and low qualified workers.

The provision of accurate, clear and complete information on migration is an important measure for reducing risks in the migration process. This information should be easily accessible (via embassies, border crossing points, public authorities, schools…) for all potential migrants and for people already on the move.

Churches, congregations and church-related organisations are active partners in raising awareness against human trafficking. Below and attached please find some summaries, finding and tools of prevention activities by COATNET affiliates and their partners.