Iran blames aggressor states for human trafficking in conflict zones

Mehr News – Gholamali Khoshroo, Iran’s envoy to UN, criticized military invaders who create conflict zones, terrorism, and instability which pave the ground for human trafficking. “When will there be accountability for those states whose invasion created the current situation in Libya?” said Iranian UN envoy, touching upon the slavery and human trafficking in Libya.

Gholamali Khoshroo, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran, said on Tuesday addressing the UN Security Council Open Debate on trafficking of persons in conflict situations.

Here comes the full text of his address:

At the outset, we would like to thank the Italian presidency for organizing this debate, as well as the Secretary-General, UNODC and Special Rapporteur for their valuable inputs to this debate. I align myself with the statement made by the Bolivarian Republic Venezuela on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement.

Trafficking persons especially in conflict situations is becoming a global challenge with arising numbers of victims, as such it requires a resolute response at national and international levels.

Human trafficking is both a source and aftermath of conflict and instability, particularly affecting most vulnerable populations. This phenomenon must be addressed both collectively and comprehensively, including by taking a close look at its root causes. This global and growing phenomenon and challenge, with its acute humanitarian emergencies usually is not the cause, it is just a symptom.

Underlying factors, particularly foreign aggression and intervention, occupation, war and protracted conflicts, political instability, terrorism, genocide and ethnic cleansing, create conditions under which millions of people become displaced in their own countries or seek refuge overseas in a quest for safety, stability, and opportunity. These journeys can themselves put migrants at great risk of falling victim to human trafficking, forced labor and contemporary forms of slavery.

To deal with these original causes is the primary responsibility of this Council and when the Council chooses to focus instead on symptoms, it will certainly fail to address them in a proper manner. The current situation in Libya and the concerns over reported enslavement is an example of such issue. When will there be accountability for those states whose invasion created the current situation in Libya?

At the same time, I would like to underscore the vital importance of impartial and reliable data on trafficking in persons at different levels. Member States whose destructive military options have left millions of peoples at the risk of exploitation and trafficking, are not in a position to produce politicized reports, labeling others and deny their own responsibilities.

We believe that addressing of root causes, prevention, protection of victims, prosecution of traffickers and partnership at the global level must be the pillars of any comprehensive approach in combating trafficking in persons and implementation of the Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons.

The Islamic Republic of Iran is committed to prevent and fight all forms of human trafficking and to counter this horrible crime. To this end, the Law on Combating Human Trafficking was adopted by our parliament in 2004 and has been revised to fill the gaps and strengthen the domestic legal regime.

There is an urgent need to scale up international cooperation, including capacity building as well as technical assistance to combat trafficking in persons. We support joint measures by Member States including through regional and sub-regional initiatives that will intensify implementation of the Global Plan of Action.

In fact, the complex synergy that exists between trafficking in person and certain organized crimes such as drug trafficking and smuggling of migrants requires better information sharing, technical assistance and enhanced capacity-building for law enforcement and justice departments.

Meanwhile, education and awareness-raising on human trafficking should form an integral part of our policies in countries of origin, transit and destination. People who knowingly or inadvertently use the services provided by trafficked persons are in as much need of training as those who are at the risk of being trafficked.

Mr. President,

In conclusion, we recognize the important role of UNODC in the global fight against trafficking in persons due to the significant role it can play in promoting the partnership pillar of the global campaign against trafficking in persons as well as its function in collecting and analyzing the relevant information. Its biennial Global Report on Trafficking in Persons is important towards the implementation and follow up to the Global Plan of Action and ushering the international cooperation to combat this heinous phenomenon.