Organization of American States Summits of the Americas
     
Follow-up and Implementation: Mandates
 

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MIGRATION: Trafficking in Persons
MANDATES

  1. Promote and strengthen international cooperation among States to effectively prevent, prosecute, investigate, and try cybercrimes, illicit use of data that belong to government, private institutions, and persons and other criminal activities furthered by the misuse of information and communication technologies, such as human trafficking, migrant smuggling, child sexual exploitation and other forms of sexual violence, and illicit drug and arms trafficking, as well as money laundering, inter alia, in a framework of respect for human rights and with a gender perspective. (Regional Agenda for Digital Transformation, IX Summit of the Americas, Los Angeles, 2022).

  1. To strengthen programs to prevent and fight illicit smuggling of migrants and trafficking in persons, particularly of women, children and adolescents, as well as to generate, review and amend laws, where appropriate, against these crimes so that, in their enforcement, they will render assistance and protection to victims of trafficking and to promote cooperation among states to that end, in accordance with the Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its protocols on trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants. (Migration, Initiatives VII Summit of the Americas, Panama City, 2015).

  1. To strengthen our efforts to prevent and fight the smuggling of migrants and trafficking of persons, particularly of women, children and adolescents, and to promote cooperation among states to that end, respecting and fully protecting their human rights. (Citizen Security and Transnational Organized Crime, Cartagena, 2012).

  1. We call for an increase in inter-American cooperation and dialogue to reduce and discourage undocumented migration as well as to promote migration processes in accordance with the national legal system of each State and applicable international human rights law. We commit to dialogue in order to reduce the cost and facilitate remittances and to increase efforts to combat smuggling of migrants and trafficking in persons, in keeping with international instruments of human rights; to provide for the dignified, orderly, and safe return of migrant, and to invite states to exchange best practices on establishing bilateral programs for migrant workers (Declaration of Mar del Plata, 2005).

  1. To criminalize migrant smuggling and trafficking in persons, effectively enforce national laws and regulations to confront migrant smuggling and trafficking in persons, and strengthen institutions and the training of professional staff to be better positioned to investigate and prosecute the responsible parties, undertake prevention initiatives, as well as protect and assist the victims of these crimes. (Plan of Action Mar del Plata, 2005).

  1. We underscore the importance of cooperation between countries of origin, transit, and destination, to ensure the full protection of human rights of all migrants, including migratory workers and their families, and the observance of labor laws applicable to them, in accordance with the commitments agreed to in the Santiago and Quebec City Summits. We support the adoption of programs for orderly migration as a factor of economic and social development; and we will cooperate in the fight against trafficking in persons, which especially affects women and children (Declaration of Nuevo León, 2004).

  1. We recognize the cultural and economic contributions made by migrants to receiving societies as well as to their communities of origin. We are committed to ensuring dignified, humane treatment with appropriate legal protections, defense of human rights, and safe and healthy labor conditions for migrants. We will strengthen mechanisms for hemispheric cooperation to address the legitimate needs of migrants and take effective measures against trafficking in human beings (Declaration of Québec, 2001).

  1. Commit to undertake the widest possible cooperation and exchange of information among states concerning illegal trafficking networks , including developing preventative campaigns on the dangers and risks faced by migrants , particularly women and children who often can be victims of such trafficking, with a view to eradicating this crime; (Plan of Action Québec, 2001).

  1. Protect the rights of all migrant workers and their families, consistent with each country´s internal legal framework, by taking steps, in case they do not exist, to: 1) provide, with respect to working conditions, the same legal protection as for national workers; 2) facilitate, as appropriate, the payment of full wages owed when the worker has returned to his/her country, and allow them to arrange the transfer of their personal effects; 3) recognize the rights of citizenship and nationality of the children of all migrant workers who may be entitled to such rights, and any other rights they may have in each country; 4) encourage the negotiation of bilateral or multilateral agreements, regarding the remission of social security benefits accrued by migrant workers; 5) protect all migrant workers and their families, through law enforcement and information campaigns, from becoming victims of exploitation and abuse from alien smuggling; 6) prevent abuse and mistreatment of all migrant workers by employers or any authorities entrusted with the enforcement of migration policies and border control; and 7) encourage and promote respect for the cultural identity of all migrants. (Plan of Action Santiago, 1998).

 

 

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