June 10, 2006 The Protection Project of the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies Remarks of Dr. Mohamed Mattar and highlights of visiting dignitaries Dr. Mattar: On behalf of The Protection Project at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, I would like to welcome you to our 2006 Embassy Luncheon. It is one day after Italy won the Soccer World Cup so, I want to congratulate all of Europe for this win, especially our legal analyst here at The Protection Project, Marina, who happens to be Italian. Before the World Cup, we were worried that the 3 million fans who were watching the games in Germany would create demand for prostitution that would not be satisfied by the 400,000 registered ‘sex workers’ and that demand would lead to an increase in trafficking in women especially from Eastern European countries, but the good news is that this did not happen. The “Embassy Luncheon” is a Protection Project tradition that we have been organizing since 2001 after the issuance of the first Trafficking in Persons Report. So, if the Washington Post has its diplomatic dispatches, we have our Embassy Luncheons. But this year the event has very special meaning for two reasons: - First, we welcome this year a very special person as our keynote speaker, a man of compassion and a scholar of great knowledge who helped the world better understand trafficking in persons as a modern day slavery, and a messenger with a mission, Ambassador John Miller.
- And second, this year we are honored to have the Embassy of Greece as the co-sponsor of this Embassy Luncheon, and I want to thank Ambassador Alexandros Mallias for very sincere cooperation.
We also appreciate the Greek food that is supplied by the Embassy. Being from Alexandria, Egypt, Greek food is my favorite. We are also pleased to have Delegate Thierry Agagliate of Terre des Hommes Mission in Albania. Thank you for participating and thank you for attending. The issue to be discussed this afternoon is “Trafficking in Human Beings in Europe and The Scope of the Problem and the Appropriate Regional Response.” Our keynote speaker is the man who is responsible for the United States State Department Trafficking in Persons Report. On June 5, the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons released its 2006 TIP Report. The TIP Report is very comprehensive, well drafted and well documented, assessing the status of severe forms of trafficking in 149 countries. This year’s report demonstrates that trafficking in persons is still a significant problem in many countries around the world. Comprising less than 18% of all countries evaluated, only 26 countries comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking in accordance with Section 108 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 as amended by the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Acts of 2003 and 2005. Meanwhile the majority of countries, 79 countries are not fully in compliance with these minimum standards. In addition, the Report places 32 countries on Tier 2 Watch List and 12 countries on Tier 3. What does this mean? With us to explain and enlighten is Ambassador-at-large John Miller, the Director of the United States Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons. Ambassador John Miller: Thank you for inviting me, I am very pleased with the work of the Protection Project and I am delighted that the Embassy of Greece is part of this Embassy Luncheon. Most of the modern world does not realize that the phenomenon of slavery still exists today. Yet if they do, it is assumed it would have to be taking place in some part of the underdeveloped world, which is untrue. Every single country in the world has some form of modern day slavery. It is true that many of the victims of trafficking are from underdeveloped regions (such as Southeast Asia) but if one looks at developed regions (Europe, U.S. Japan, Australia, etc.) they are also guilty of being involved in human trafficking. In Europe the main form of trafficking is sex slavery. Eastern Europe tends to be a region of source countries for trafficking and as you move westward, European countries are mainly destination countries, but could also be source, transit, and destination for trafficking. Trafficking, however, is a problem that governments recognize and are doing something about. For example, 46 governments in Europe have passed new anti-trafficking legislation. Europe is a leader in regional cooperation, as exemplified by the EU and OSCE. However, the prosecution of traffickers has continued to be too light in Europe. In fact, many of the traffickers are never imprisoned and are only put on probation. With regards to protection and provision, many countries in Europe have implemented reflection periods (between 30-45 and sometimes 90 days) in which care is provided to the victims of trafficking. Many countries in Europe have also adopted witness protection protocols. However, these protection laws have not always been adequately enforced because thousands of victims are still being deported each day. So the real challenge is not in creating good anti-trafficking laws, but in effectively enforcing these laws. Despite these problems, there also has been significant progress. This is illustrated by several different indicators. For example, Greece has moved up this year from the Tier 2 Watch List to Tier 2. As noted in the 2006 TIP Report, there have been 4,600 convictions of traffickers. Also, as stated before, 41 countries in Europe have passed new legislation compared to 39 countries that passed legislation in 2005. This is a huge improvement from back in 2000 when only about 3 or 4 countries had anti-trafficking legislation. These indicators demonstrate a good start towards abolition of modern day slavery. Dr. Mattar: It is my pleasure to introduce to you the Ambassador of the Hellenic Republic, Ambassador Alexandros Mallias. Mr. Ambassador knows that I love the Greek anti-trafficking law, especially Article 323 which provides that “those who with full knowledge accept the service of a victim of trafficking are punished with a minimum imprisonment period of six months”. The law as such represents a shift in addressing the issue of demand not only as a prevention issue but as a prosecution issue as well. This new trend has been adopted by the 2005 Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. Article 19 of the European Convention, which is my favorite article, calls upon states to consider establishing as a crime “the use of services” provided by a victim of trafficking “with the knowledge that the person is a victim of trafficking in human beings.” This is a significant addition to the UN Protocol on Trafficking that in Article 9/5 calls upon states to “discourage demand.” With us to explain and discuss the European approach is Ambassador Alexandros Mallias, Ambassador of Greece. Please join me in welcoming Ambassador Mallias. Ambassador Mallias: Ambassador Miller has been an immense contributor in encouraging the abolition of modern day slavery. And even the United States’ President Bush has pointed out the horrors of trafficking in persons, which only encourages countries like Greece to improve. There are many reasons for human trafficking in Greece. One is Greece’s economic stability, especially in comparison to the surrounding post- Soviet Union states. Greece is one of the most prosperous countries of the region, surrounded by countries emerging from authoritarian regimes. As a result of its comparative wealth, Greece has experienced a huge influx of foreigners seeking jobs. In 1991, Greece’s population was only 10 million, and now the population has increased by 10%, an increase comprised entirely of foreigners. As a result of its location and financial stability, Greece has become a target for traffickers looking to capitalize on these economic disparities. While at first, Greece was not prepared to deal with this crisis, now, Greece has adopted laws to criminalize trafficking, protect victims, and address demand. Additionally, Greece has also developed two new initiatives. One is to develop a National Action Plan, and coordinate efforts with NGO’s. The other is to create shelters for victims of trafficking, and provide adequate protection and legal counseling. Greece has also extended its regional coordination efforts, establishing a bilateral agreement with Albania. The organization Terre des Hommes sped up the process of agreement, and provided the context for this collaboration. The issue of slavery and trafficking requires dedicated leadership, and the Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs has been a major leader in this area. The criminal networks constantly shift their modus operandi, and we need to be one step ahead of them. They are very resistant and well organized, and we need to apply these same principles to our efforts as well. Child trafficking is one of the most odious forms of crimes, and there needs to be special provision to fight this problem as well. To outline some specific tenets of our anti-trafficking laws, I would like to introduce to you the Human Trafficking Coordinator with the Greek Embassy. Dimitri Anghelakis: Our anti-trafficking legislation incorporates rules that are advanced, progressive, and realistic. We constantly update our laws to conform to the latest international standards. I’d like to present to you some of the most pertinent parts of our legislation: Article 3064 part one criminalizes all types of slavery and trafficking. Part two deals with sentencing and demand. It provides for special attention to minors, and in the event of the death of the victim, calls for life imprisonment for traffickers. There are also provisions for victim assistance, guaranteeing trafficking victims all forms of freedom and aid, especially to minor victims. Presidential Decree 233 calls for enforcement of these provisions, and coordinates efforts with the Standing Committee of Health. Law 3386, passed of January 1, 2006, provides for a reflection period for victims, with the relevant legal aid and necessary residential permits. Greece has a strong commitment to implement these, and other anti-trafficking laws, and to achieve results. Dr. Mattar: Now it is time to shift the focus from the government to civil society and the role of NGOs. I was in Vienna all of last week as a part of an expert group drafting an action plan to combat trafficking in persons in countries of the Middle East and North Africa. There, I insisted on adding a provision on the responsibility of the governments to cooperate with NGOs and other elements of civil society, especially in a region where the governments do not always welcome the good work of civilian organizations. That is why I am particularly proud of two provisions in the Iraqi Constitution: 1. Article 35, which explicitly prohibits trafficking in persons, especially women and children. 2. And Article 43, which mandates that the state strengthen the role of civil society. With us is someone who knows something about civil society. Please join me in welcoming Thierry Agagliate, delegate from Terre des Hommes Mission in Albania. Thierry Agagliate: Tierre de Hommes is based in Albania, and is a bilateral mission between Albania and Greece. Victims are trafficked primarily as a result of poverty, and social exclusion. A program was created to address the trafficking phenomenon at all levels, including prevention of trafficking and reintegration of victims into society. Tierre de Hommes has protected over 1200 children- 400 victims, and 800 potential victims. Over 37,400 citizens and 45 social administrators have been sensitized to the dangers of trafficking through mass education campaigns. We have also held roundtables, where coordination was initiated between other NGO’s. Efforts have also been made to engage the primary stakeholders, the families that are vulnerable to trafficking. To talk about our direct efforts with victims and potential victims of trafficking, I’d like to introduce Jennifer Piorkowski. Jennifer Piorkowski: The environment in Albania makes it particularly vulnerable to traffickers. Politically, Albania was the last country out of the former Soviet Union to democratize, and was isolated due to its dictatorship. This led to a “great treachery” among Albanian people, who were told that their country was a strong world power. After the break up of the Soviet Union, the Albanian people became disillusioned, which led to a backlash of citizens retreating to social relationships for support. This “unconditional trust syndrome” has made Albanians increasingly susceptible to trafficking, as they tend to overly trust family or friends who promise them a better life in another country, when these people are in fact traffickers. Additionally, the economic situation in Albania has caused unstable families, as poverty can breed family violence, alcoholism, and other forms of abuse. Without a stable family life, children are more at risk for being trafficked. The Roma population is also vulnerable to trafficking, as they frequently experience early marriage, young pregnancies, tolerance to child labor, and undervaluing of a formal education, preferring that their children receive “street educations”. During the Communist era, the Roma population was socially marginalized, which prevented them from accessing social services and the education system. Trafficking is a constantly mutating phenomenon. Trafficking is decreasing in Greece, as a result of funding provided to NGO’s, and actions by the Greek government. But there is an increase of parents exploiting their children due to economic struggles. To combat child trafficking, Albania investigates unaccompanied minors living abroad, and has enacted other anti-trafficking legislation. Tierre des Hommes’s project strengthens these efforts through a variety of strategies. Just as the traffickers operate through loose networks, Tierre des Hommes employs this strategy to prevent trafficking. We have a transnational network, operating in both origin and destination countries, and by building relationships with families, we reinforce children’s capabilities to resist traffickers. We build trust with the children themselves, as we see them as social actors who can make decisions about their lives. We empower the family, by trying to improve their environment and building trust over time. Finally, we intervene when necessary, collaborating with the police, helping with prosecution of traffickers, and reintegrating the victim into society. We also work with the main community stakeholders, organizing sustainable projects with communities in response to its needs, so that the community feels ownership. We collaborate with state institutions, using social services to ensure child’s rights, and going into the schools to detect and prevent victims. Finally, we use transnational cooperation, to maximize communication with the child, and to cross check information with border control and screening. Through our bilateral agreement with Greece, we hope to be an active force aiding current victims of trafficking, and preventing future cases from occurring. Dr. Mattar: Thank you. I now open the floor for discussion and then dessert will be served. | 
