The trafficking of human beings is widely recognized as presenting a threat of global proportions. The causes of global trafficking are varied and complex, but notably include poverty, lack of opportunities, the economic gains to be made through the exploitation of children, entrenched gender discrimination and discriminatory/harmful cultural practices. Human trafficking is usually exacerbated by the lack of legal assistance services available to victims and by the lack of awareness concerning the existing legal protection. Victims and witnesses of human trafficking are often not aware of the mechanisms available to obtain justice and redress. On the other hand, law enforcement officials and judicial organs may not have adequate resources and training to combat human trafficking and ensure full victim protection.

Based on cutting-edge research and results-based approaches, IDLO is carrying out a series of projects and activities to address human trafficking in affected regions. IDLO’s activities are implemented within the broader framework of the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, Supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/protocoltraffic.htm) and other relevant instruments.

In West Bengal, India, IDLO successfully piloted a project designed to prevent and combat child trafficking using legal empowerment strategies. The project was designed to make victims and potential victims of human trafficking aware of their basic rights, to create a network of legal support for victims, and to provide them with direct and easy access to legal and paralegal services in shelters or at the first and most likely entry point for girls looking to be rescued from trafficking situations. In Paraguay, IDLO is successfully implementing a multi-faceted project to align domestic legislation on human trafficking with international standards, build the regional capacity of the law and criminal justice enforcement sectors involved in the prosecution of human trafficking cases (Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil) and increase access to justice for victims and groups at risk.