UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Statement by H.E. Mr Peter Tesch
Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of the
Australian Mission to the United Nations
Third Committee Statement
Item 108: Crime prevention and criminal justice
New York
13 October 2003
Mr Chairman,
People smugglers and traffickers, like all transnational criminals, do not respect borders. They do not respect state sovereignty or international laws. They feed on the misfortune and aspirations of their victims and pay no heed to their human rights or safety. As such, people smuggling and trafficking have become major political and security issues for the international community, inflicting heavy social and economic costs upon States. According to the International Organisation for Migration, people smuggling and trafficking generate approximately US$10 billion annually, making these repugnant activities core business for transnational criminal networks alongside narcotics, document fraud, money laundering and arms smuggling.
Furthermore, the illegal movement of people undermines the capacity, effectiveness and integrity of the international refugee protection system. It has the potential to erode public support for legal migration programs which have been hugely beneficial to Australia and many other countries.
Australia is concerned that the Asia-Pacific region remains a focal point for global people smuggling and trafficking activities. Australia is therefore doing its utmost to fight these crimes through concerted domestic, bilateral, regional and international efforts. Australia has successfully pursued and continues to pursue the extradition of people smugglers. Australia also supports the initiatives of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to address secondary movements and encourages the international community to provide support for countries of first asylum.
As part of that strategy, Australia has today announced a twenty million dollar package to assist in the fight against people trafficking, the full details of which are attached to this statement.
Mr Chairman,
Cooperation in combating people smuggling and trafficking in our region continued to gain momentum at the successful second Bali Regional Ministerial Conference on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime, held in April this year. Countries participating in the Bali Process have agreed on a program of practical activities designed to increase cooperation in areas such as information exchange, border control, public awareness, legislation, return of illegal migrants, refugee protection and combating trafficking in persons. The Foreign Ministers of Indonesia and Australia – the Bali Process Co-Chairs - earlier wrote to Secretary-General Kofi Annan to advise him of these outcomes.
The Bali Process is making an effective and important regional contribution to international efforts to address illegal people movement. However, the problem is far from over. It urgently requires greater funding and a coordinated international response involving origin, first asylum, transit and destination countries. The International Organisation for Migration launched a global funding appeal on 19 September 2003 in Geneva that will support the ongoing work of the Bali Process. By their nature, people smuggling and trafficking are international problems that threaten global security and stability. Australia would like to see these problems accorded a greater international priority and encourages all States to consider making an appropriate contribution to the IOM global appeal, whether financial or in-kind. Continuing cooperation, regionally and through the UN, will be our best bet in successfully combating people smuggling and trafficking.
PRESS RELEASE
Australian Government announces major package to combat people trafficking
The Australian Government has shown its commitment to combating the repugnant trade of trafficking in people by allocating more than $20 million over four years for a major package of measures to combat this growing form of transnational organised crime.
The new measures will significantly enhance the detection, investigation and prosecution of traffickers, improve the range of support available to victims and help prevent trafficking of persons. They will complement existing efforts, including Australian Government aid program activities valued at around $14 million.
This package is a strong, well-considered and determined response to people trafficking and sexual exploitation and builds on Australia's effective approach to fighting this crime.
One victim of trafficking is one too many. While Australia has a range of practical and legal measures already in place to combat trafficking, these new measures emphasise the Government's commitment to combating trafficking in persons by focusing on prevention, detection, prosecutions, supporting victims and international efforts.
A Commonwealth Action Plan to Eradicate Trafficking in Persons will be developed to co-ordinate these new initiatives.
This Action Plan will complement existing measures by providing additional initiatives. These are:
• A new community awareness campaign to raise awareness of trafficking issues within Australia;
• A new 23-member Australian Federal Police (AFP) mobile strike team (the Transnational Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking Team) to investigate trafficking and sexual servitude;
• A new Senior Migration Officer (Compliance) in Thailand, focused on trafficking in persons;
• Closer links between the AFP and Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA) officers in the detection and investigation of trafficking and enhanced training on trafficking issues;
• New visa arrangements for potentially trafficked persons;
• Comprehensive victim support measures provided through contracted case managers, including appropriate accommodation and living expenses and access for victims to a wide range of social support, legal, medical and counselling services;
• Enhancement of arrangements, including access to additional support, for the small number of potential victims who may be required to remain in immigration detention;
• Development of a reintegration assistance project for trafficking victims who are returned to key source countries in South East Asia;
• Improvements to legislation to comprehensively criminalise trafficking activity;
• Legislative amendments to make telecommunications interception available for investigating trafficking offences, and
• Ratification, once all domestic requirements are in place, of the United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children.
The existing networks developed by the Bali Regional Ministerial Conferences on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime, and the Ambassador for People Smuggling Issues, will be used to pursue enhanced region-wide cooperation to combat trafficking in persons.