IOM International Organization for Migration

STATEMENT BY

MR. ROBERT G. PAIVA

PERMANENT OBSERVER TO THE UNITED NATIONS

TO THE TWENTY-THIRD SPECIAL SESSION

OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY:

WOMEN 2000: GENDER EQUALITY,

DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE FOR THE TWENTY-FIRST

CENTURY

New York, 9 June 2000

Mr. President, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen,

Women's place in today's international migratory flows is changing both quantitatively and qualitatively. Quantitatively, women account for a growing percentage of migrant populations - and in several countries, they already constitute the majority. Qualitatively, women are migrating independently - particularly as labour migrants - in vastly greater numbers than was the case in their mothers' or grandmothers' generation. These two factors - which, taken together, are commonly referred to as the feminization of migration - represent considerable challenges for migrant women, for governments, for international and non-governmental organizations, and for society at large.

Five years ago, at Beijing, the International Organization for Migration made a four point appeal to the international community: first, to recognize the trend toward the feminization of migration; second, to improve awareness and understanding of the conditions and needs specific to migrant women; third, to promote equal access to projects and services so that migrant women might fully participate in and benefit from them; and fourth, to design and implement, where appropriate, programmes designed specifically for migrant women.

There has been progress since. For example, enhanced research and improved data collection have made for better awareness of women's important place in the migration and highlighted some emerging issues as a result. These include the effects of temporary labour migration of women on the empowerment of women, on the economy at the micro level, and on the family that remains behind. IOM is pleased that this issue has been discussed and recognized during the prepcom process, having recently completed a joint research project with INSTRAW to produce case studies on Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

However, advances concerning migrant women in some areas are not matched in others. This is particularly true with respect to trafficking in women and girls. Indeed, this particularly abusive form of exploitation of women seems to be growing.

No one is able to quantify the exact magnitude of trafficking today, not least because of its frequently clandestine nature and the lack of international agreement on how it is defined. However, there is steadily growing anecdotal evidence, supported by partial data from many countries, to indicate that this has become a multi-billion dollar business often linked to organized criminal networks.

IOM has been heavily involved in efforts to counter trafficking in women for nearly a decade, beginning with research in countries of origin, transit and destination in order to better understand how women enter into trafficking networks and what conditions they face before, while and after they are trafficked. Our involvement was and is clearly linked to our migration mandate, although from the outset it has been clear to us that trafficking in women is a serious human rights issue, an economic issue, a social issue, a gender issue and a criminal justice issue - as well as a migration issue. The range of UN fora where trafficking in women is discussed provides ample evidence of the many perspectives from which this issue can be seen.

Building on our research - which continues: a new volume on migrant trafficking in Europe, with case studies from Hungary, Poland and Ukraine, is currently with our publisher - IOM has focused on three areas of programme activity. The first is help for trafficked women: finding safe houses, providing counseling and medical attention, and assisting in return and reintegration. Indeed, in this field, IOM could do much more if additional resources were available. The second area of programme activity is capacity building, a significant component of which is contributing to and fostering dialogue amongst governments regarding their needs and experiences in combating traffickers and assisting trafficking victims. Regional migration dialogues, such as the Puebla Process in North and Central America and similar initiatives in other regions, have proven to be especially useful for advancing policy dialogue amongst governments on how to deal with trafficking in women. The third area is mass information campaigns about the realities of trafficking. These usually multi-media campaigns, while they cannot claim to be the sole tool for prevention, have the benefit of reaching both potential targets .of traffickers and the general public, raising awareness of the ruses used in the trafficking trade and the abuses waiting on the other end.

IOM is currently running counter-trafficking public information campaigns in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Kosovo and Thailand, building upon previous successful efforts in Vietnam and Ukraine. In these as in all our trafficking-related activities, we value the close partnership we have developed with the NGO sector.

Mr. President, Over the course of the past few days, it has been heartening to listen to governmental statements that recognize and face the challenge that trafficking in women represents. This is indeed an area where all States -- North or South, country of origin or country of destination - share a common abhorrence of the abuses human beings are subjected to.

Success in dealing with trafficking in women will require strong and sustained international cooperation. IOM's involvement to-date is a clear indicator of the depth of our engagement in raising awareness of the realities of trafficking, as well as in addressing concrete needs with practical responses. I would like to underscore here today our commitment to continued action, in active partnership with similarly engaged governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations. In that connection, it gives me pleasure to highlight IOM's growing inter-action with the UN system, including relevant offices in the Secretariat, UNFPA, the ILO, UNHCR, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and UNICEF, focusing in particular on trafficking issues.

Yes, there has been some encouraging progress over the past five years in addressing trafficking, but much more needs to be done over the next five years. And it can be done if we join forces.

Thank you, Mr. President.