UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking in the Greater Mekong sub-Region (UNIAP) Tourism & Trafficking By Sverre Molland

UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking in the Greater Mekong sub-Region (UNIAP) Overview What is Human Trafficking? Trafficking vs. migration, people smuggling & prostitution Situation and response in the Lao PDR Tourism and Trafficking: trends and responses

UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking in the Greater Mekong sub-Region (UNIAP) What is Human Trafficking? Trafficking is the… Recruitment Transport Transfer Harboring Receipt of persons(s)

UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking in the Greater Mekong sub-Region (UNIAP) What is Human Trafficking? …by the means* of… Threat; use of force; coercion; Abduction; Fraud; Deception Abuse of power; Abuse of position of vulnerability Giving or receiving payments or benefits * For trafficked victims who are children, the “means” are irrelevant as they by definition cannot consent

UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking in the Greater Mekong sub-Region (UNIAP) What is Human Trafficking? …for the purpose of exploitation Which includes: The exploitation of prostitution of others Other forms of sexual exploitation Forced labor services Slavery or practices similar to slavery Servitude Removal of organs Exploitation = a continuum

UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking in the Greater Mekong sub-Region (UNIAP) When any one element from each of the three slides above can be applied together to the situation of an individual, the individual is considered to be ‘trafficked’ This definition is based on the UN Protocol, which is becoming the consensus definition in the Mekong and East Asia What is Human Trafficking?

UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking in the Greater Mekong sub-Region (UNIAP) Loss of Control Vulnerability Power relations How does this relate to a tourist? What is Human Trafficking?

UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking in the Greater Mekong sub-Region (UNIAP) Demand for exploitative labor and services -low status, low paid workers; commercial sex; CSEC -3 Ds: dirty, dangerous, or degrading work -Low profit margins / work difficult to fill w/ voluntary labour Supply of vulnerable potential victims -Relative poverty; family abuse; lack of education; lack of citizenship; armed conflict; consumerism; boredom Opportunities for traffickers -Profit; low risk; impunity Laws & Polices fail to stop it from happening Lack of laws, lack of law enforcement, corruption, irregular labor migration What causes Human Trafficking?

UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking in the Greater Mekong sub-Region (UNIAP) Differences between trafficking, people smuggling & migration Trafficking is for the purpose of exploitation Migration and people smuggling is not for the purpose of exploitation A trafficked victim: no informed consent A smuggled migrant consents to the movement Policies that attempt to “crack down” on migration can increase trafficking

UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking in the Greater Mekong sub-Region (UNIAP) Community Exploitation

UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking in the Greater Mekong sub-Region (UNIAP) Differences between trafficking and prostitution Prostitution and trafficking: subject to emotional debate worldwide Trafficking always implies some form of exploitation Not all prostitution is considered exploitative many “levels” of exploitation within the sex industry.

UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking in the Greater Mekong sub-Region (UNIAP) Differences between trafficking and prostitution (cont.) Trafficking involves deception and coercion Not all sex workers are deceived and coerced People are trafficked into other forms of exploitation which is not sex work. Policies that attempt to “crack down” on prostitution can increase trafficking

UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking in the Greater Mekong sub-Region (UNIAP) Lao PDR: the situation Context of seasonal migration Initial movement often voluntary Primarily a lowland phenomenon (not the poorest of the poor) Many sectors Prostitution Domestic work Fisheries Increase in internal trafficking?

UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking in the Greater Mekong sub-Region (UNIAP) Lao PDR: the situation (cont) Trafficking for sex (demand mostly local) Most victims are girls… …but men also get trafficked Income generation and awareness raising will not alone curb the problem -Socioeconomic disparities are huge -“Awareness” not always the problem Need to address demand Displacement (push down pop up)

UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking in the Greater Mekong sub-Region (UNIAP) Lao PDR: Responses – Implementation 0-12 projects in less than four years… Prevention Awareness raising / Income generation Protection Repatriation & Reintegration, protection networks, safe & legal migration Law Enforcement (demand reduction) Specialized police unit Research

UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking in the Greater Mekong sub-Region (UNIAP) Lao PDR: Responses–Legislation & Policy Coordinating mechanisms: -National Ministerial Committee on Trafficking -National Commission for Mothers and Children Regional MOU on Trafficking -Coordinated Mekong Ministerial Initiative against Trafficking (COMMIT) Legislation -New trafficking Law -TOC, CRC, CEDAW, ILO Convention 182 National Plan of Action on Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children Bilateral MOUs: Lao / Thailand

UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking in the Greater Mekong sub-Region (UNIAP) Lao PDR: Partners International Agencies UNIAP UNICEF UNESCO IOM ILO Consortium Save the Children UK Save the Children Australia Village Focus International ARCPPT (Ausaid) Norwegian Church Aid Childwise Government Agencies Ministry of Public Security Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare Ministry of Justice Ministry of Foreign Affairs Lao Women Union Lao Youth Union Lao Trade Union Three more projects being developed

UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking in the Greater Mekong sub-Region (UNIAP) Tourism and trafficking - situation Limited knowledge (no officially known cases in Laos) Increasing concern in the region Mostly for CSEC (well organized) -Child Sex tourism = Commercial sexual exploitation of children by persons who travel from their own country to another – usually less developed country - to engage in sexual acts with children Lack of knowledge about exploiters (their attitudes, their awareness etc.) Displacement (push down pop up)??

UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking in the Greater Mekong sub-Region (UNIAP) Tourism and trafficking - responses Main focus: CSEC 1 st & 2 nd Congress against CSEC set international standards. Code of Conduct (ECPAT, UNCIEF, World Tourism Organization) Training programs with hotel industry (ACCOR, Childwise, ECPAT, ESCAP) The ASEAN Travelers Code(?)

UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking in the Greater Mekong sub-Region (UNIAP) Questions to consider What (and who) is a sex tourist? Do tourists contribute to demand for trafficking in other sectors than sex work? (eg. Street children) Is this happening in Laos already? Do we think it might happen here in the future? What role, if any, does the tourism sector have?