UNODC launches Model Law against Trafficking in Persons

04.07.2009 22:31

The UNODC M L was developed by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in response to the request of the General Assembly to the Secretary-General to promote and assist the efforts of Member States to become party to and implement the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the Protocols thereto.

The M L has been developed to assist States in implementing the provisions contained in the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, supplementing that Convention.  It will facilitate the review and amendment of existing legislation as well as the adoption of new legislation. It has been designed to be adaptable to the needs of each State, whatever its legal tradition and social, economic, cultural and geographical conditions. The Model Law covers not only the criminalization of trafficking in persons and related offences, but also the different aspects of assistance to victims as well as establishing cooperation between different state authorities and NGOs. Each provision is accompanied by a detailed commentary, providing several options for legislators, as appropriate, and legal sources and examples.

The UNODC Model Law against Trafficking in Persons was developed by the Organized Crime and Criminal Justice Section of the Division for Treaty Affairs in cooperation with the Anti-Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Unit (AHTMSU) of the Division for Operations and the Statistics and Surveys Section of the Division for Policy Analysis and Public Affairs. Two consultant drafters, Marjan Wijers and Roelof Haveman, assisted UNODC. A group of experts in the field of anti-human trafficking, from a variety of legal and geographical backgrounds met to discuss and review the draft Model Law.