§ 19. Mr. Ian BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations she has made to the UN on appointing a commissioner on the trafficking of children. [152227]
§ Clare ShortA UN mandate already exist on the sale of children and the Committee on the Rights of the Child is dedicated to monitoring the implementation of the convention on the Rights of the Child. At the Millennium Summit, the Prime Minister signed the optional protocol to this convention which strengthens the protection it provides against the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography. The Government have also signed a new convention against transnational crime, which includes a protocol on trafficking of women and children.
§ Rev. Martin SmythTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of efforts to stop trafficking in humans in Africa. [152426]
§ Clare ShortWe are determined to do all we can to see an end to trafficking in humans in Africa. Along with our EU partners we have expressed our concerns in international organisations such as the UN Commission for Human Rights and the International Labour Organisation. In the past year in Sudan, the EU Commission has provided financial support to the Committee for the Eradication of the Abduction of Women and Children (CEAWC): CEAWC has already organised the return of some 550 abducted women and children there. Our ambassador in Khartoum has been active in visiting the areas affected and in attending CEAWC workshops to urge greater effort.