UN committed to bringing human traffickers to justice – Guterres

UN committed to bringing human traffickers to justice – Guterres
By Isaac Aregbesola
Commitment
Abuja, July 30, 2018 (NAN) The United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, has restated commitment to advancing action to bring human traffickers to justice while protecting and supporting their victims.
Guterres said this on Monday in his message to commemorate the World Day against Trafficking in Persons.
The UN scribe’s message was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja by UNDP Country Office in Nigeria, Head of Communication Unit, Lucky Musonda.
Guterres said that member states had also resolved to prevent, combat and eradicate trafficking in persons in the context of international migration.
He said the members stressed this in their proposed Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration to be adopted in December.
Guterres described trafficking in persons as a vile crime that feeds on inequalities, instability and conflict.
“Human traffickers profit from peoples’ hopes and despair. They prey on the vulnerable and rob them of their fundamental rights.
“Children and young people, migrants and refugees are especially susceptible.
“Women and girls are targeted again and again.
“We see brutal sexual exploitation, including involuntary prostitution, forced marriage and sexual slavery. We see the appalling trade in human organs,” he said.
According to him, human trafficking takes many forms and knows no borders.
“Human traffickers too often operate with impunity, with their crimes receiving not nearly enough attention. This must change.’’
He said that UN was committed to advancing action to bring traffickers to justice while protecting and supporting their victims.
“The rights of victims must come first be they the victims of traffickers, smugglers, or of modern forms of slavery or exploitation.
“On this World Day against Trafficking in Persons, let us come together around the key issues of prevention, protection and prosecution to build a future where this crime cannot exist,” he said. (NAN)
IAA/MST
Edited by Muhamamd Suleiman Tola