Wk 5 Global and US Legislative response to Human Trafficking - Essay Example

GLOBAL AND US LEGISLATIVE RESPONSE TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING Global and US Legislative response to Human Trafficking Trafficking refers to the recruitment, transfer, transportation, harboring or receiving people, by use of threat, or force or any other coercion forms, fraud of deception, abduction or abuse of power or receiving and giving payments in order to achieve consent of responsible for another person, for exploitation purposes. Trafficking is considered a grave crime and a severe human rights violation (George, 2005).

Annually, thousands of women, men and children find themselves in the wrong hands of traffickers in abroad and sometimes even in their own countries. From this, it is a can be assumed that nearly every country is affected by trafficking, either as a nation of origin, transfer or terminus for victims (George, 2005). This paper will seek to discuss the global and US legislative responses to human trafficking. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) being a custodian of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) and its Protocols helps countries in their struggles to execute the Trafficking in Persons Protocol.

UNODC does not only assist countries in drafting legislations and creating comprehensive countywide anti-trafficking policies; but also help with resources to execute them (George, 2005). The Trafficking in Persons Protocol is aimed at providing consensus and consistencies globally on the problem of trafficking of persons. Domestic legislations should be adopted in accord with domestic legal systems in order to give end product to the concepts in the Protocol. Therefore, apart from criminalizing trafficking; efforts to commit trafficking offense, directing others to commit trafficking or participating in trafficking are also considered as criminal acts.

In conclusion, it is important to note that the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 in the US has played a great role in fighting the vice of human trafficking. This is ascribed to the fact that it has three phases: prevention, protection, and prosecution (George, 2005). This implies that it prevents people from being trafficked, protect those found in transit, and prosecute trafficking offenders.ReferencesGeorge, S. (2005). The strong arm of the Law is weak: How the Trafficking Victims Protection Act fails to assist effectively victims of the sex trade.

Creighton Law Review, 45, 563–580.