2012 07PU: HUMAN TRAFFICKING: NATIONAL ACTION PLAN
Whereas 1: The National Council of Women of Canada adopted policy in 2001 and 2006 addressing the issue of human trafficking; and
Whereas 2: Human trafficking continues to be a global and international issue in which no country, including Canada, is immune to the problem of receiving, sending, and acting as a transit site, and where it is the largest underground activity after the sales of drugs and arms, with profits of approximately US$31.6 billion annually; and
Whereas 3: Human trafficking of women and children is complex and cannot be abstracted from the immense disparities in wealth, power, and security, and where women and children are often socially, economically, and politically vulnerable; and
Whereas 4: Human trafficking constitutes a violation of international covenants and conventions addressing human rights and violence against women and children; and
Whereas 5: The RCMP estimates that 600-800 persons are trafficked into Canada annually and an additional 1,500 to 2,000 are trafficked through Canada to the United States, and that in Canada human trafficking involves inter-provincial and intra-provincial illegal movement of persons; and
Whereas 6: The work to eliminate trafficking in persons requires collaboration and cooperative action among governments, volunteer organizations, researchers, and the public; therefore, be it
Resolved 1: That the National Council of Women of Canada adopt as policy that there be a comprehensive national action plan to address the root causes of human trafficking, recognizing that human trafficking is a heinous crime; and be it further
Resolved 2: That the National Council of Women of Canada urge the Government of Canada to develop and introduce as a matter of priority a national action plan to eliminate the root causes of human trafficking, recognizing that human trafficking is a heinous crime that demands a coordinated and comprehensive response including prevention, protection of victims, and prosecution of human traffickers.