Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Abolishing Slavery and its Contemporary Forms

28
Abolishing Slavery
Formally, however, the Trafficking Protocol only applies to situations where children are trafficked
across international borders.
86. With regard to assistance to and protection of victims of trafficking, the Trafficking Protocol
requires each State party to take into account “the age, gender and special needs of victims of traf-
ficking, and in particular the special needs of children, including appropriate housing, education
and care” when applying the provisions of article 6.
154
As highlighted above, the Trafficking Pro-
tocol affords greater protection to the rights of victims of trafficking than the Migrant Smuggling
Protocol affords to those of smuggled migrants. This difference is particularly apparent with regard
to the protection of smuggled children’s rights, as the Migrant Smuggling Protocol only cursorily
addresses their situation, merely stating that, in applying the provisions of article 16 on protection
and assistance measures, “States Parties shall take into account the special needs of women and
children”.
155
87. The Convention on the Rights of the Child specifically prohibits “the abduction of, the sale
of or traffic in children for any purpose or in any form”.
156
Hence, the prohibition of trafficking in
children in the Convention (as in the Trafficking Protocol) is not limited to recruitment for prosti-
tution, but includes a range of situations in which children are taken away from, or given away
by, their families for a range of purposes, including, but not limited to, exploitation. Adoption is
an example of a purpose which is not a form of exploitation.
157
Examples of exploitation include
prostitution, pornography
158
and recruitment to work involving the removal of a child from home
to be employed at an age or in circumstances that violate either national law or international stan-
dards on the minimum age for employment and on child servitude.
159
It is rather less clear when
sending a child away from home for marriage is to be construed as “sexual exploitation” or
“trafficking”, although some clear-cut cases are prohibited.
160
In every case, the children con-
cerned are those under the age of 18, unless, under the law applicable to the child, majority is
attained earlier.
161
88. The Inter-American Convention on International Traffic in Minors, adopted by the Organiza-
tion of American States (OAS) on 18 March 1994, defines the scope of cross-border traffic (or traf-
ficking) in children in greater detail than any other instrument.
162
Article 2 specifies that:
“For the purpose of the present Convention:
(a) ‘Minor’ means any human being below the age of eighteen.
(b) ‘International traffic in minors’ means the abduction, removal or retention, or attempted
abduction, removal or retention, of a minor for unlawful purposes or by unlawful means.
(c) ‘Unlawful purpose’ includes, among others, prostitution, sexual exploitation, servitude or
any other purpose unlawful in either the State of the minor’s habitual residence or the
State Party where the minor is located.
154
Trafficking Protocol, supra note 28, art. 6(4).
155
Migrant Smuggling Protocol, supra note 74, art. 16(4).
156
Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted by General Assembly resolution 44/25 of 20 November 1989
(entered into force on 2 September 1990), art. 35.
157
The main instrument adopted to prevent such trafficking is the Hague Convention on the Protection of Chil-
dren and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (entered into force on 1 May 1995), art. 32.1, which states:
“No one shall derive improper financial or other gain from activity related to intercountry adoption.”
158
Article 34 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child addresses the use of children in prostitution or other
unlawful sexual practices and in pornographic performances and materials.
159
Supplementary Convention, supra note 20, art. 1(d), and ILO Convention concerning Minimum Age for Ad-
mission to Employment (Minimum Age Convention), 1973 (No. 138), United Nations Treaty Series, vol. 1015, p. 297;
entered into force on 19 June 1976. 
160
See section G, infra, on “Forced Marriage and the Sale of Wives”.
161
Convention on the Rights of the Child, supra note 156, art. 1.
162
Article 1 states that “The purpose of the present Convention, with a view to protection of the fundamental
rights of minors and their best interests, is the prevention and punishment of the international traffic in minors as well
as the regulation of its civil and penal aspects.”

---