Looking Back, Looking Forward - the UN Trafficking Protocol at 20, Ep. 4: Legal Aid in the US
Channel: GAATW IS
Date: 08/12/2020

In 2000, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children (UN Trafficking Protocol). The Protocol obliged states to criminalise human trafficking, prosecute traffickers, and assist victims. Twenty years later, it is one of the most ratified UN instruments and human trafficking is a major issue of international concern and activism. However, it has also attracted considerable criticism for leading to serious human rights violations of trafficked persons and other vulnerable groups. 

In 2020, to mark the 20th anniversary of the Protocol, the Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women partnered with Sharmila Parmanand to lead a series of conversations about the Protocol and anti-trafficking work more broadly, their successes and failures, and opportunities for improvement.

In this episode, we speak with Martina Vandenberg from the Human Trafficking Legal Center - a US-based NGO that provides legal assistance and advice to survivors of human trafficking. Martina describes the many challenges survivors face in the US, especially those related to their immigration status, and access to justice. She reflects on the implementation of the US Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 and shares how she thinks anti-trafficking work needs to change in the coming years - both in the US and globally. 

Find out more about the Human Trafficking Legal Center at https://www.htlegalcenter.org/