Ethical principles important in combating human trafficking

VIENNA - Serbian State Secretary in the Ministry of Interior Affairs Aleksandar Nikolic stated during the OSCE conference in Vienna on Tuesday that ethical principles are important in the fight against human trafficking.

The efforts in the prevention and countering human trafficking often entail complex ethical dilemmas, Nikolic said in the opening statement.

Government bodies, international organisations, civil society, the media and the private sector need to improve the implementation of ethical principles in the work on prevention and countering human trafficking, he said.

Nikolic also pointed to the fact that the conference concerning the ethical principles in the prevention and fight against human trafficking is the first one of its kind.

We need to create a future which will be based on positive moral norms, respect for all people and the principles according to which any instance of abuse of human rights is unacceptable, Nikolic underscored.

OSCE Special Representative and Coordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings Madina Jarbussynova warned that the problem of human trafficking is becoming bigger and bigger and has started to take on new modes.

She noted that the latest assessment of the International Labour Organisation shows over 20 million people are targeted by human trafficking or forced labour, while the figure in the 57 OSCE member countries adds up to around 3 million.

In order to realise their goals primarily embodied in achieving profit, criminal structures can be very creative when it comes to coming up with new modes of human trafficking, Jarbussynova said.

Human trafficking as modern slavery is closely connected with poverty and the victims...