Press Release

International Launching of the 'Day to Stop Child Trafficking'

The UN has proclaimed August 23rd as the International Day of Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its abolition. The UN marks today the abolition of the slave trade as a record high number of people being trafficked against their will.

However, millions of children in the world are still being trafficked for sex trade, forced labour, domestic servitude, forced beggary, illegal adoption, criminal activities, to become camel jockeys, soldiers and for other labour exploitation.

With conservative estimates placing the number of trafficked humans at 700,000 each year, the issue is hardly just a matter of historical reflection. Children are the main source of their lucrative business for traffickers. Human trafficking is the third biggest illegal trade in the world after drugs and arms that makes annual profit up to between $5 billion to $7 billion. There was a worldwide shock when a slave ship carrying 43 children docked on the West African Coast in last April in Benin. Over 3,000 Albanian children have been trafficked to Italy and Greece where they are forced to beg or clean car windows. The present rate of trafficking in children is already ten times higher than the trans-Atlantic slave trade at its peak.

Human trafficking, especially trafficking in women and children is an alarming problem in South Asia. Only in India, thousands of Nepali, Bangladeshi and Pakistani children are trafficked every year. Intra-country trafficking in children is also fast increasing in all countries in South Asia as a result of growing urbanisation. Unequal distribution of resources, unfair and exploitative labour relations, criminalisation in politics and negative trend of globalisation are some of the reasons behind trafficking in children.

The Global March against Child Labour (GMCL), representing 2000 partner organisations in over 140 countries, appeals UN to give top priority to stop all kinds of child slavery, including trafficking in children. A lot has been said for children's rights, welfare and protection, now its high time for action. Hence, GMCL has decided to observe 23rd April as the "Day to Stop Child Trafficking". We call upon all the governments, political parties, trade unions and civil society organisations including NGOs to dedicate themselves to end this heinous crime against humanity. We must end this shame for humankind without delaying a single day.

23 April, 2001 Kathmandu, Nepal