Topic:

Child Trafficking In South Asia

  Chair: Briana Lannon

Human trafficking is a crisis harming populations across the globe, with hotspots in Eastern Europe, South Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa. One of the most prevalent forms of human trafficking is the trafficking of minors for sexual exploitation or forced/bonded labor. The coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have devastated the income of many families in South Asia, causing an increase in the number of children sent to foreign locations with the hopes of a better life or sold off by their parents to pay off debts. As a result, child trafficking rates have also increased due to the global pandemic. The Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice has recognized women and children as the most at risk for human trafficking and has openly condemned all forms of human trafficking, referring to the crime as “an offense and a serious threat to human dignity and physical integrity, human rights and sustainable development”. UNICEF published a 2008 report on human trafficking in South Asia and the actions of the states within this region to prevent and respond to this human rights crisis. Despite these actions, the trafficking of minors has remained a key issue affecting South Asia.

Topic:

The Rise of Hezbollah

Chair: Gokul Patel