KATHMANDU: Today marks the International Day Against Human Trafficking with Nepal organizing series of programs aimed at raising awareness and reinforcing the global commitment to eradicating this heinous crime.
The theme for this year’s commemoration is “Let’s reach every victim of trafficking, don’t deprive anyone of justice,” which seeks to emphasize the importance of ending the exploitation of trafficking victims and ensuring their rehabilitation, along with safeguarding vulnerable groups at risk of trafficking.
In essence, human trafficking involves forcing individuals to perform actions against their will, through manipulation, intimidation, or exploitation, all for the purpose of making profit.
This atrocious practice encompasses various forms, such as child labor, child slavery, adoption, child marriage, concubine labor, human organ transplantation, sexual slavery, commercial sexual exploitation, and illegal immigration, experts view.
The United Nations has highlighted that the risk of human trafficking is on the rise due to global crises, conflicts, and climate emergencies.
Millions of people affected by displacement and socio-economic inequality have fallen victim to human traffickers, particularly those facing poverty, unemployment, lack of education and healthcare, discrimination, violence, abuse, and those belonging to marginalized communities.
Disturbingly, the response to human trafficking in developing countries has seen a decline, with a decrease of 11 percent in the detection rate of human trafficking and a 27 percent drop in the conviction rate against human traffickers in 2020, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
Recent reports from the Ministry of Women, Children, and Senior Citizens in Nepal indicate that women and children have been trafficked to various countries in Asia, Arab, Africa, Europe, and America.
Experts and partner organizations in this field have emphasized the need for timely amendments to existing laws and the creation of new legislation to combat human trafficking effectively.
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