Mr. Speaker, as Co-Chairman of the Helsinki Commission, I want to inform colleagues of an important breakthrough in combating human trafficking achieved at the recently concluded Ministerial Council meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). There have been growing concerns in recent years that some individuals serving as peacekeeping forces, or civilian contractors involved in international operations and other personnel serving with international organizations have helped fuel the demand side of the human trafficking cycle, particularly for sexual exploitation. These concerns stem in part from shocking revelations of complicity by elements in these operations with trafficking networks profiteering from this contemporary form of slavery.

Serving in my capacity as Special Representative on Combating Human Trafficking for the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, I have pressed for adoption of a zero-tolerance policy regarding trafficking in human beings by personnel involved in peacekeeping missions, along with related education and training.

Overcoming pushback from various quarters, I am pleased to report that agreement was reached earlier this month among the 55 OSCE countries meeting in Slovenia, including numerous countries actively involved in peacekeeping missions around the globe, to ensure the highest standards of conduct and accountability of persons serving on peacekeeping forces and other international missions. Importantly, the OSCE countries have pledged to step up efforts to prevent military and civilian personnel deployed abroad from engaging in trafficking in human beings or exploiting victims of trafficking. Countries with deployed military and civilian personnel have also agreed to work cooperatively with authorities in countries hosting such missions, in efforts to combat trafficking in human beings.

While many of the cases involve sexual exploitation and abuse, the OSCE countries also recognized that cases involving forced labor also need to be aggressively pursued and have committed to enforce relevant standards of conduct and to ensure that any such cases are properly investigated and appropriately punished.

Mr. Speaker, if we are to be successful in combating human trafficking, we must be proactive at home and abroad. The OSCE has proven to be an important forum for building consensus and cooperation on anti-trafficking measures throughout the expansive OSCE region. Developing this consensus has required both tact and tenacity. In this regard, I want to recognize the tireless efforts of Janice Helwig and Maureen Walsh, two outstanding professionals on the Helsinki Commission staff. Having secured this important agreement at the OSCE, the Commission will continue to remain fully engaged in monitoring its implementation.

Mr. Speaker, I submit for the Record a copy of the Ministerial Decision, agreed to by the 55 OSCE participating States.

DECISION NO. 16/05
ENSURING THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF
CONDUCT AND ACCOUNTABILITY OF PERSONS
SERVING ON INTERNATIONAL FORCES AND MISSIONS
The Ministerial Council:

Reaffirming the OSCE commitments to combat trafficking in human beings, in particular 2000 Vienna Ministerial Council Decision No. 1, 2002 Porto Ministerial Declaration and Maastricht Ministerial Decision No. 2/03 and the OSCE Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings, as well as its addendum “Addressing the Special Needs of Child Victims of Trafficking for Protection and Assistance,”

Recalling the United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, Supplementing the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime, and its comprehensive definition of trafficking in persons,

Reiterating that trafficking in human beings, a contemporary form of slavery, seriously undermines the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms,

Concerned that military and civilian personnel serving on international peacekeeping forces or other international missions, including contractors, as well as field presences of international organizations including the OSCE could be a contributing factor to the demand side of the trafficking cycle,

Welcoming the efforts of the United Nations as well as other international organizations to develop and enforce “zero-tolerance” policies to prevent trafficking in human beings by both forces and other staff, which, combined with education and training, are required,

Recalling the ongoing activities in all relevant international organizations aimed at the development of common standards and best practices to prevent and combat trafficking in human beings,

Concerned about reports of misconduct by military and civilian personnel serving on international peacekeeping forces or other international missions, including reports of engaging in trafficking in human beings as defined in the United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, strongly condemning such acts, and noting that they have a detrimental effect on the fulfillment of mission mandates,

Concerned also about reports of misconduct by military and civilian personnel serving on international peacekeeping forces or other international missions including reports of sexually exploiting and abusing local and refugee populations, as well as reports of cases of forced labour, strongly condemning such acts, and noting that they have a detrimental effect on the fulfillment of mission mandates,

Emphasizing the need for more information and awareness-raising concerning these issues among personnel serving on international missions,

Taking note of efforts by the United Nations aimed at ensuring that personnel serving on peacekeeping forces or other international missions are held to the highest standard of conduct and accountability,

1. Calls on participating States to improve, where necessary, measures to prevent military and civilian personnel deployed abroad to peacekeeping forces or other international missions, as well as OSCE officials, from engaging in trafficking in human beings or exploiting victims of trafficking. In this regard, the participating States will seek to ensure that their national laws, regulations, and other relevant documents can be enforced with respect to their nationals who are serving on peacekeeping forces or other international missions, with a view to ensuring the highest standards of conduct and accountability;

2. Calls on participating States with deployed military and civilian personnel to assist, within their competence and respective mandates, responsible authorities in the host country in their efforts to combat trafficking in human beings. Each participating State will take into account policies and consequences regarding trafficking in human beings when instructing its military and civilian personnel to be deployed abroad;

3. Calls on participating States to take appropriate action necessary to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse, as well as cases of forced labour, by military and civilian personne1 deployed by them who are serving on peacekeeping forces or other international missions, to enforce relevant standards of conduct in this regard, and to ensure that any such cases are properly investigated and appropriately punished;

4. Reaffirms the importance of implementing the Code of Conduct for OSCE Officials and Staff Instruction 11 addressing trafficking in human beings and instructs the Secretary General, drawing on the expertise of the OSCE Special Representative on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings and the Anti-Trafficking Assistance Unit, to update these documents to make them in line with this decision, and to circulate them to the participating States for comments and discussion prior to issuance;

5. Invites the governments of the OSCE Partners for Co-operation also to commit to the same, principles as are set forth in this decision and to that end tasks the OSCE Special Representative on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings and the OSCE Secretary General to share relevant information and materials with the OSCE Partners for Co-operation;

6. Tasks the OSCE Special Representative on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings to share with relevant international organizations OSCE training materials and other information that could assist in combating trafficking in human beings;

7. Tasks the OSCE Secretary General to report annually to the Permanent Council on the implementation of this decision in regard to the Code of Conduct for OSCE Officials and Staff Instruction 11, in accordance with provision III 11.1 of the OSCE Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings.