The UN, please sanction governments which don't actively enforce anti-slavery human trafficking laws

  • by: Patricia Xavier
  • recipient: The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

Modern-day Slavery - There is an estimated 21-30 million slaves in the world today and THERE IS human trafficking and slavery in your country! (check the facts further down). And why is there so much of it? Very simple: too many governments do not fully enforce their anti-slavery humman trafficking laws, do not sanction well known chain stores who buy from suppliers that are known to use slavery either directly or indirectly and, unfortunately, there are corrupt police officers who aid traffickers and slave runners not to get caught.

What does the UN do about this huge, widespread problem? Upon searching the official UN website, the only actions that can be found are the creation of two remembrance days (International Day of Abolition of Slavery and International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery). The UN itself says "It is the responsibility of us all to work to address the root causes of slavery, to provide assistance and protection to its victims and to ensure that there is no impunity for those who perpetuate the practice". (see the UN website link http://www.un.org/events/slaveryremembrance/factsheet.shtml)

Our young women and children are stolen everyday from our streets and parks and desperate immigrants are unknowingly trafficked into slavery. So, what can we, as citizens of the world do about it? Put pressure on the UN:

1. Public awareness is the key! Public agreement is crucial to end slavery once and for all.

2. Governments need to spend money to eradicate slavery but not nearly as much as we might think. For the price of a bomber or a battleship, the amount of slavery in the world could be dramatically reduced.

3. Some governments are enforcing their own anti-slavery laws. However, many others are not effectively doing so. Many cases have been publicly exposed by reporters carrying out undercover investigations but the governments of those investigated countries have done very little to react to this public exposure. The United Nations must take active actions and financially sanction those governments if they do not react. We all know about the United Nations weapons inspectors but where are the United Nations slavery inspectors?

Please, sign this petition and remember step 1 above: Public awareness is the key and public agreement is crucial to end slavery once and for all.

Is there slavery in your area?

North America: Slaves in the United States come from 60 countries and have been found in 90 cities. They are forced to clean houses, work on farms or into the sex industry. Deception and ongoing exploitation are used to coerce them. An estimated 50% of slavery in the United States is in the commercial sex industry and the other 50% is in agriculture, domestic service, manufacturing and other industries.

Latin America & Caribbean: Many people in Latin America and the Caribbean are vulnerable to slavery and being trafficked abroad. Hundreds of thousands of them, the majority being hildren, are held in Brazil and the fruits of their labour are exported around the world.

Africa & Middle East: Africa suffers from a high level of internal and external slavery. Traffickers buy and sell children within and between West African countries. They are forced to work in cocoa, coffee, cotton, fishery, mines or as domestic servants or prostitutes.

Europe & Eurasia: Traffickers often target young women in Russia and Eastern Europe for forced prostitution in Western Europe and some countries of Asia. Others are forced to work in agriculture, food processing and the service sector, often through deception or coercion.

Asia & Pacific: The largest number of slaves in the world is found in the countries of East Asia where as many as 18 million workers are held as slaves working in the fishing industry, domestic service and trafficking into sexual exploitation.

Update #19 years ago
Dear signers,
I’ve been actively promoting my petition by sending it to organizations world wide. Despite my efforts, signing has slowed down over the last few days. In order for Care2 to send it to all its community members, it needs 500 signatures. This might be feasible with the promoting I’ve been doing. To ensure that it actually happens, I’d like to ask you for one small gesture: to share it with 10 relatives and friends. Will you do this small gesture?
Many thanks!
Kindest regards.
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