Human trafficking has grabbed the headlines around the world but what is human trafficking and what is its relationship to forced labor, debt bondage and slavery? Has the focus on human trafficking and particularly trafficking into forced prostitution, undermined or marginalized efforts to address forced labor, debt bondage and slavery? The answer to the first question is that, although they are interconnected, they are not the same in international law or in practice, which has led to much confusion and misinformation. The answer to the second question is yes, global mobilization to counter 'trafficking' has diverted attention away from the great number of persons who are in forced labor, debt bondage and slavery but who were not trafficked into these situations. So, the purpose of this paper is to provide some conceptual clarity to the current confused state and to issue a call for governments and civil society to address the human rights abuses suffered by victims of all of these crimes.
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- Copyright 2011 American University Washington College of Law. In the spirit of the United Nations? encouragement of collective efforts at the international level (Resolution 49/184), this document is placed in the public domain and put at the disposal of all interested persons to consult it or use it. Reproduction is authorized provided that: (1) the text is reproduced in its entirety without changes, (2) reproduction is for educational ends and not for commercial use and (3) credit is given to Program on Human Trafficking and Forced Labor, Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, American University Washington College of Law.
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