Delivered by: H.E. Mr Mikael Anzén, Ambassador to the WTO, Deputy Permanent Representative
Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, Dear Colleagues,
First of all, I would like to thank CAP international for organizing this important event on “Championing the elimination of trafficking in human beings and the exploitation of prostitution”. These issues, anchored in the principle of gender equality, are central to Sweden’s Feminist Foreign Policy priorities, as well as national priorities. There are numerous links between human rights and trafficking, and human rights need to be at the centre of all responses to trafficking.
Given the lack of a reliable estimate of the number of victims of trafficking in human beings, whether for the purposes of sexual, labour or other exploitation, it remains a challenge to estimate the global size of this heinous crime in terms of illegal profit. However, the estimate of the International Labour Organization amounts to an annual profit of $150BLN[1]. The actual number is of course likely to be significantly higher as many victims remain undetected.
What is clear, however, is that an overwhelming part of victims are women and girls who are trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation. According to the 2020 UNODC Global Report on Trafficking in Persons, for every 10 victims detected globally, five were adult women and two were girls. And 50 per cent of all detected victims, disregarding the gender, were trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation[2].
It is also clear from recent reports that we are not doing enough to prevent trafficking and to protect victims of this crime. Although we still lack solid and comparable data, testimonies from civil society, authorities and international organisations show us that trafficking in human beings has further increased during the Covid-19 pandemic. Women and children have been put in more vulnerable situations as a result of lockdowns and closed schools. To prevent further exploitation and safeguard the protection and support to victims, we need to take a whole-of-society approach and ensure relevant gender sensitive response and legislation.
As you are aware, Sweden has a strong focus on addressing the demand for trafficking for sexual exploitation, as a means of prevention, and acknowledges the inextricable link between prostitution and trafficking for sexual exploitation. Please allow me to say a few words about the process Sweden has experienced during the last 20 years.
The ban on the purchase of sexual services came into force in 1999 and is central to efforts to reduce demand and to prevent trafficking for sexual purposes. Sweden was the first country in the world to criminalize the purchase, but not the sale, of sex. The rationale behind criminalizing the purchasing act evolved from a comprehensive gender approach to address violence against women, as men are the predominant purchasers of sexual services and users of victims for sexual exploitation and most people in prostitution are women. By prohibiting the purchase of sex, demand was confronted with the aim to end exploitation. Since then several other countries have followed suit and what was once known as the Swedish or the Nordic model, is now more and more referred to as the equality model.
Legislation is a clear signal and it is evident that this law, which enjoys strong support amongst the Swedish population, has had a normative effect in society. It has further been an important tool to counteract trafficking in human beings as it has made Sweden a less attractive market for traffickers. Having said this, Sweden still faces challenges in the area of trafficking in human beings, and like many other countries, we continuously have to review and develop our processes to counter the phenomena and ensuring the rights of victims.
However, independent of national legislation, following art 9 in the Palermo Protocol we all have an obligation to address the demand that fosters trafficking in human beings. This needs to be done whether it is via legislations or other measures. I therefore welcome this discussion here today where we can exchange experiences in the field of addressing trafficking in human beings for sexual exploitation and learn from each other in our joint obligations to counter trafficking in human beings.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all partners here today for your continued engagement on this important issue. I wish you all fruitful discussions and look forward to continued cooperation on this file.
Thank you.
[1] https://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_243201/lang--en/index.htm