Strasbourg, 07.03.2006 – With a
view to tomorrow’s International Women’s Day, Council of Europe
Parliamentary Assembly President René van der Linden today urged the
organisation’s member states as well as the European Community to
adhere to the Convention on action against trafficking in human beings.
“Whilst fully supporting all current initiatives for a ‘red card to
forced prostitution’, I hope we can avoid yellow cards for our member
states for not having taken the necessary legal action to prevent
trafficking in general, and forced prostitution in particular,” he
said.
Mr van
der Linden stressed that after drugs and arms, trafficking in human
beings represents the third most lucrative criminal business. Estimates
of the number of victims vary from 120 000 to 500 000. “In Europe,
trafficking in human beings is above all synonymous with forced
prostitution. This form of modern-day slavery replaces chains by rape,
psychological terror and complete dependence through the deprivation of
the women’s personal and civil identity. These are unbearable facts.
Forced prostitution is a crime and a blatant violation of human
rights,” Mr van der Linden said.
“On
the occasion of this year’s World Cup in Germany, a strong temporary
rise in the demand for sexual services is expected. This represents a
considerable risk of an increase in forced prostitution,” he added.
“The
Council of Europe Convention on action against trafficking in human
beings offers the necessary legal means to prosecute traffickers, to
better protect victims, safeguard their rights and to fight
trafficking. It was opened for signature on 16 May 2005, but has so far
been signed by only 25 out of the 46 member states and not ratified by
any member state. It is high time to take resolute action. As the
organiser of the World Cup, Germany could take the lead and set an
example by ratifying the Convention,” René van der Linden concluded.
