Tag: United Nations General Assembly

2 April: World Autism Awareness Day

The United Nations General Assembly unanimously declared 2 April as World Autism Awareness Day (A/RES/62/139) to highlight the need to help improve the quality of life of those with autism so they can lead full and meaningful lives as an integral part of society.

Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviours, speech and nonverbal communication. According to the Centers for Disease Control, autism affects an estimated 1 in 54 children in the United States today.

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United Nations Economic and Social Council grants Special Consultative Status to YUVA

The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) at its Coordination and management meeting of 6 June 2019 adopted the recommendation of the Committee on Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to grant special consultative status to YUVA.

This consultative status enables YUVA to actively engage with ECOSOC and its subsidiary bodies, as well as with the United Nations Secretariat, programmes, funds and agencies in a number of ways.

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6 April: International Day of Sport for Development and Peace

After fifteen years of progress in the unprecedented Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the world turned its attention to the successor Sustainable Development Goals in a period of transition to the newly adopted 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Sport has proven to be a cost-effective and flexible tool in promoting peace and development objectives.  In the Declaration of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development sport’s role for social progress is further acknowledged:

“Sport is also an important enabler of sustainable development. We recognize the growing contribution of sport to the realization of development and peace in its promotion of tolerance and respect and the contributions it makes to the empowerment of women and of young people, individuals and communities as well as to health, education and social inclusion objectives.”

For these reasons, states, the United Nations system and, in particular, the United Nations Office on Sport for Development and Peace, relevant international organizations, and international, regional and national sports organizations, civil society, including non-governmental organizations and the private sector, and all other relevant stakeholders are invited to cooperate, observe and raise awareness of the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace.

Background

On 23 August 2013, the Sixty-seventh session of the United Nations General Assembly decided to proclaim 6 April as the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace. Previously, the Fifty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 2005 as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education to promote education, health, development and peace.

Many organizations of the United Nations system, including the International Forum on Sport, Peace and Development, organized jointly with the United Nations Office on Sport for Development and Peace, have already established partnerships with the International Olympic Committee. The mission and role of the Committee, as set out in the Olympic Charter, are placing sport at the service of humankind and promoting a peaceful society and healthy lifestyles by associating sport with culture and education and safeguarding human dignity without any discrimination whatsoever.

The General Assembly also recognizes the role that the International Paralympic Committee plays in showcasing the achievements of athletes with an impairment to a global audience and in acting as a primary vehicle to change societal perceptions of disability sport.

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General Assembly

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SDP IWG

World Water Day: Play Dry Holi

Hundreds of thousand of Mauritians would be celebrating Holi this Thursday, 24 March 2016. YUVA has launched a national campaign on the occasion of World Water Day 2016 to sensitise Mauritians to save water by playing dry holi.

holi

Water means jobs

Water is the essential building block of life. But it is more than just essential to quench thirst or protect health; water is vital for creating jobs and supporting economic, social, and human development.

Today, half of the world’s workers – 1.5 billion people – work in water-related sectors. Moreover, nearly all jobs, regardless of the sector, depend directly on water. Yet, despite the indelible link between jobs and water, millions of people whose livelihoods depend on water are often not recognised or protected by basic labour rights.

2016 Theme: Better Water, Better Jobs

This year’s World Water Day theme focuses on the central role that water plays in creating and supporting good quality jobs. Learn more about this year’s theme in this video:

Learn more about this year’s theme and join the global celebrations by organising your own event.

World Water Day is marked on 22 March every year. It’s a day to celebrate water. It’s a day to make a difference for the members of the global population who suffer from water related issues. It’s a day to prepare for how we manage water in the future. In 1993, the United Nations General Assembly designated 22 March as the first World Water Day. 23 years later, World Water Day is celebrated around the world every year, shining the spotlight on a different issue. Join the movement.

Join the 2016 campaign to get informed, engaged and take action. You can also contribute on social media by using the hashtags #WaterIsWork and #WorldWaterDay.

International Day of Commemoration in Memory of Victims of Holocaust

The theme for the Holocaust remembrance and education activities in 2016, including the Holocaust Memorial Ceremony, is “The Holocaust and Human Dignity”. 

The theme links Holocaust remembrance with the founding principles of the United Nations and reaffirms faith in the dignity and worth of every person that is highlighted in the United Nations Charter, as well as the right to live free from discrimination and with equal protection under the law that is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Holocaust, which resulted in the destruction of nearly two thirds of European Jewry, remains one of the most painful reminders of the international community’s failure to protect them.

The Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme seeks to remind the world of the lessons to be learnt from the Holocaust in order to help to prevent future acts of genocide.

The Outreach Programme was created at the request of the United Nations General Assembly in its resolution 60/7, adopted on 1 November 2005. The United Nations Department of Public Information (UN DPI) has taken the lead in creating a broad initiative, designed to encourage the development by United Nations Member States of educational curricula on the subject of the Holocaust, and to mobilize civil society for education and awareness.

The “Holocaust Remembrance” resolution also designates 27 January as an annual International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust – observed with ceremonies and activities at United Nations Headquarters in New York and at UN offices around the world. The 2006 ceremony in the General Assembly Hall drew over 2200 people, and was viewed by countless others globally via webcast and live television broadcast.

Recalling the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the United Nations General Assembly reaffirms that ‘the Holocaust, which resulted in the murder of one-third of the Jewish people along with countless members of other minorities, will forever be a warning to all people of the dangers of hatred, bigotry, racism and prejudice”.

In addition, resolution 60/7 rejects any denial of the Holocaust as an historical event, either in full or in part, and commends those states which have actively engaged in the preservation of sites which served as Nazi death camps, concentration camps, forced labour camps and prisons during the Holocaust.

United Nations General Assembly Resolution 61/255 adopted on 26 January 2007 also condemns any denial of the Holocaust and urges all Member States unreservedly to reject any denial of the Holocaust.

UNDPI has embarked on a number of activities, including special events, film screenings, discussion papers from leading academics, information materials, partnerships with intergovernmental organisations and other initiatives, to encourage awareness and remind the world of the threat posed to us all when genocide and crimes against humanity are allowed to occur.

About UNESCO and Holocaust Remembrance

At its 34th session of the General Conference in Paris in 2007, UNESCO adopted by consensus 34c/61 resolution on Holocaust Remembrance. The resolution requests the Director General to consult with the United Nations Secretary-General on the programme of outreach on the subject of “the Holocaust and the United Nations”, with a view to exploring what role UNESCO could play in promoting awareness of Holocaust remembrance through education and in combating all forms of Holocaust denial. It also requests the Director-General to report the results of these consultations and his recommendations to the Executive Board at its 180th session.

The two programmes complement each other: while the Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme aims to mobilize civil society for Holocaust and education in order to prevent future acts of genocide, UNESCO seeks to promote Holocaust remembrance through education.

5 December: International Volunteer Day

The International Volunteer Day (IVD) mandated by the UN General Assembly, is held each year on 5 December. It is viewed as a unique chance for volunteers and organisations to celebrate their efforts, to share their values, and to promote their work among their communities, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), United Nations agencies, government authorities and the private sector.

Apart from mobilising thousands of volunteers every year, the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme contributes to peace and development by advocating for the recognition of volunteers and working with partners to integrate volunteerism into development programming.

Through the Online Volunteering service, volunteers can take action for sustainable human development by supporting the activities of development organisations over the Internet. Every day thousands of people are volunteering, online or on-site, contributing to peace and development, working to achieve the MDGs and engaging people to shape the post-2015 sustainable development agenda.

With the theme ”The world is changing. Are you? Volunteer!”, IVD 2015 is challenging every one of us to be part of implementing the newly launched Global Goals, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

On December 5th, International Volunteer Day, we not only celebrate volunteerism in all its facets – but also pay special tribute to volunteers working to implement the new global goals. Through volunteerism the person can impact the sustainable development agenda by mobilising and engaging governments and communities. For IVD 2015, join volunteers in recognising the individuals who are engaged in volunteering their time, energies, and skills to change the world for a better future.

Background

International Volunteer Day is a chance for individual volunteers, communities and organizations to promote their contributions to development at the local, national and international levels. By combining UN support with a grassroots mandate, International Volunteer Day is a unique opportunity for people and volunteer-involving organizations to work with government agencies, non-profit institutions, community groups, academia and the private sector.

The International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly through Resolution A/RES/40/212 on 17 December 1985. Since then, governments, the UN system and civil society organisations have successfully joined volunteers around the world to celebrate the Day on 5 December.

A focus on partnership and development

Through the years, International Volunteer Day has been used strategically: many countries have focused on volunteers’ contributions to achieving the Millennium Development Goals, a set of time-bound targets to combat poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation and discrimination against women.

The organization of International Volunteer Day is generally the result of a partnership between the UN system, governments, volunteer-involving organizations and committed individuals. Representatives from the media or academia, foundations, the private sector, faith groups, and sports and recreational organisations are often involved too.

Resolutions

The General Assembly invited Governments to observe annually, on 5 December, an International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development (resolution 40/212 of 17 December 1985) and urged them to take measures to heighten awareness of the important contribution of volunteer service, thereby stimulating more people in all walks of life to offer their services as volunteers, both at home and abroad.

The United Nations General Assembly in its resolution 52/17 of 20 November 1997 proclaimed 2001 as the International Year of Volunteers (IYV) The year was conceived for the purpose of furthering the recognition of volunteers, facilitating their work creating a network of communication and promoting the benefits of voluntary service.

In 2001, the International Year of Volunteers, the General Assembly adopted a set of recommendations on ways in which Governments and the United Nations system could support volunteering and asked that they be given wide dissemination (resolution 56/38 of 5 December 2001).

On 18 December 2008 the General Assembly decided that on or around 5 December 2011, the International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development, two plenary meetings of the sixty-sixth session of the General Assembly should be devoted to follow-up to the International Year and the commemoration of its tenth anniversary (resolution 63/153).

The United Nations General Assembly, in its resolution 57/106 of 22 November 2002, called upon the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme to ensure that the potential of International Volunteer Day is fully realised.

– Source: United Nations

MENA Regional Youth Advocacy Workshop on Global Citizenship Education (GCED)

The United Nations Secretary-General’s Global Education First Initiative (GEFI) will organize a MENA regional advocacy workshop on Global Citizenship Education (GCED) for young people from 12 to 16 December 2015 in Amman, Jordan.

Organized in partnership with the Generations For Peace, the workshop aims to build the capacity of dynamic young leaders from the MENA region to foster peace using the core components of GCED. The three-day advocacy training will build on the outcomes of the ‘Seminar on the Role of GCED in Fostering Youth Peace builders’, held at the United Nations headquarters in New York from 10-11 September 2015. At the Seminar, youth advocates, educators, experts, NGOs and international organizations explored the root causes and different forms of youth violence; identified aspects within GCED that could be used in preventing and building resilience to violence, hatred, intolerance and conflict; and learned from existing programmes around the world for prevention of conflict and violence targeting youth.

On 25 September 2015, world leaders gathered at the UN Summit for Sustainable Development and adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This workshop will provide participants with a global platform to discuss with other young leaders how to ensure the successful achievement of the  development goals for a more equal, just, prosperous and peaceful world by integrating concepts of GCED into peace-building practices at the local, national, regional and global levels.

Attending participants will be asked to identify specific aspects of GCED and advocacy, reflecting on the global challenges around violence and insecurity. Working both individually and in groups, the young people will expand on these topics, devising advocacy goals and strategies for use at local, national and regional levels. Participants will also engage in information sessions and workshops at the training to support them in this task, on areas such as ‘Advocacy tools to build strategies’, and ‘Bottom-up planning for advocacy campaigns’.

Approximately 50 participants, between the ages of 18 to 24, will be selected on the basis of their past/ongoing engagement and future commitment in educating youth at the local and national levels around GCED. Participants must have a minimum of two years’ experience in youth advocacy activities, an understanding of GCED issues and priorities, and a proven record of influencing change at the local or national levels.

Applications (in English or Arabic) for the Youth Advocacy Training must be received by 30 October 2015 (Midnight, EST), and successful applicants will be notified on 6 November 2015 (EST). Travel and local expenses will be covered for all successful applicants. This Workshop is supported by the Educate A Child.

5 October: World Teachers’ Day

Today is World Teachers’ Day. The day we honour those who encouraged us to be better individuals, community members, and global citizens by showing us how to explore the world around us. How to ask questions and problem solve. How to take risks when needed and be safe when it was dangerous. Teachers do not just teach rote learning, they are caring, innovative people who know that by connecting with and teaching our youngest members of society, we can create change, often towards a more peaceful future.

Marking the first World Teacher’s Day after the adoption of 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, senior United Nations officials appealed to the international community to value, support, and empower teachers, “for it is they who will educate a new generation of children who, in turn, will carry forward all our goals to build a better world for all.”

“Today, as the global community comes together around the new 2030 Agenda, the role teachers play has never have been more important,” said the heads of key UN agencies in a joint statement on the Day.

Quality teachers are increasingly recognized as the most important factor in children’s learning- and thus, in improving educational attainment levels, increasing the ability of young people to participate in society and today’s knowledge economies, boosting productivity and prosperity.

The statement was issued by UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Director-General Irina Bokova; UN International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Director-General, Guy Ryder; UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Executive Director, Anthony Lake; UN Development Programme’s (UNDP) Administrator, Helen Clark; and Fred van Leeuwen, the General Secretary of Education International, which represents teachers’ organizations across the globe.

The statement underscored the mounting shortage of quality teachers, unequal distribution of trained teachers, and inadequate or non-existent national standards for the teaching profession.

These are all key contributing factors to wide equity gaps in access and learning. According to estimates compiled by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, to achieve universal primary education by 2020, countries will need to recruit a total of 10.9 million primary teachers.

“This is a global education crisis in the making – unless we act,” said the officials, noting that the looming crisis was recognized at the 2015 World Education Forum, in Incheon, South Korea, where leaders committed to “ensure that teachers and educators are empowered, adequately recruited, well-trained, professionally qualified, motivated and supported within well-resourced, efficient and effectively governed systems.

The new global education goal, Sustainable Development Goal 4, which is at the heart of the Education 2030 Agenda, call for “inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.”

“Realizing this goal is critical to achieving all our global development targets – for strong societies depend on well-educated citizens and a well-trained workforce. But we can only realize this agenda if we invest in recruiting, supporting, and empowering teachers,” explained the UN agency heads.

In a separate statement on the Day, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) highlighted the key roles teachers play in empowering students with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the 21st century and better connect with people and experiences beyond their borders.

“Being well-trained, dedicated, enthusiastic and interactive, our teachers are reshaping the future of our school children. The ways our teachers are working through the reform are being noted beyond UNRWA,” said Caroline Pontefract, Director of Education at UNRWA.

This year’s celebrations give the Agency an important opportunity to recognize the important work of UNRWA teachers, who continue to deliver quality education despite the many difficulties the face, including the ongoing crisis in Syria and last year’s devastating conflict in Gaza, as well as an unprecedented funding shortfall in the Agency’s core programming budget had risked a delay in the school year in Jordan, Gaza, the West Bank, Syria and Lebanon.

World Teachers’ Day, held annually since 1994, commemorates the anniversary of the signing in 1966 of the UNESCO/ILO Recommendation Concerning the Status of Teachers, and celebrates the essential role of teachers in providing quality education at all levels. The Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers has, essentially, served as a charter of rights for teachers worldwide.

In some parts of the world, they celebrate the Teachers’ Day grandly with various events simple because a teacher is the one who made us whoever we are today, and guided us in the path of knowledge towards a new world of science and technology.  Our parents are always there for us. Yet, teachers are the ones who guide us with education.

Everyone is doing well and truly stunning work when they get good teachers. The World Teachers’ Day is a special day for them to feel the same way as we feel in having great teachers in our lives. We should be thankful for our teachers who taught us with knowledge which they acquired from their teachers.

You might lose what you earn; you might lose your valuables. But the knowledge you gained will be always with you. So, shouldn’t you be grateful to the people who taught you what you know and respect them for the taking trouble to teach you? Have you ever thought how difficult it is to be a teacher? It is not as easy as it seems to be. He/she needs lots of patience to control the students. And it’s a great responsibility for them as well. They too have to study hard, in order to make you a good study plan and to find out a method which is easier for you to understand. When the exam results come they have to accept whatever the pupils get, despite their efforts. And of course the teacher is the one to get the blame if a student fails.

Life is too short to waste. Everyone is busy with studies and exams yet we can never forget to celebrate the World Teachers’ Day to make our teachers feel appreciated for the wonderful job they are performing.

Buy a gift or card and gift them beautiful messages. Or take time to make something special for them. The value of the gift doesn’t really matter; the intention of giving it is what is more important. A single person can make their day special with happiness and joy. Give them something special to surprise them.  They will love a surprise. So, make it special for your teacher in your own special way. Make your teacher happy. And always remember, being a good student is a gift you can give them all year along.

(Source: United Nations, 2015)

The Efua Dorkenoo Pan African Award for Reportage on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)

Win a Month of training at the Guardian in London

UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, and The Guardian are launching the Efua Dorkenoo Pan African Award for Reportage on FGM for journalists reporting on FGM across Africa. The award is intended to increase media awareness and engagement on FGM within community, national and regional media outlets and recognize and encourage outstanding efforts of journalists throughout Africa.

Eligibility

All articles and reports could be either of investigative or human-interest types; produced in Arabic, English or French; and should be printed or broadcast in Africa between 1 January and 31 December 2015. If the article or report was originally published in a local language, please provide a translated version of the article in Arabic, English or French.

To be eligible for the competition, the candidate must be:

  • A professional journalist working in or for print press (daily, weekly, monthly), radio or TV in Africa or a freelancer with proof of publication of commissioned material. Contest will be limited to journalists working for Africa-based news outlets
  • A national of an African country

Candidates can submit one of the following:

  • Print story, not exceeding 2,000 words
  • Radio report, from 4 to 15 minutes
  • TV report, from 4 to 15 minutes

Entries will be judged based on:

  • Compliance with above eligibility, topic and format conditions
  • Originality/creativity
  • Quality and relevance of data
  • Writing/reporting style
  • Respect for ethical guidelines
Submissions

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Submissions are to be judged by a panel of representatives from UNFPA, The Guardian, African media organizations and regional non-governmental organizations.

One finalist will be chosen from each of the three categories, and one overall winner will be chosen from among the three. The three names will be announced on 6 February 2016, International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM.

The overall winner will receive one month of training at the FGM Multimedia and Investigations Unit at The Guardian in London. All trip and living costs will be covered by the organizers.
Judges’ decisions on all matters are final and no correspondences will be entertained.
UNFPA/The Guardian reserve the right to change any terms and conditions of the contest without prior notice.

  • Submit your entry via email at fgmaward@unfpa.org Use “Pan African Award for FGM Reportage” as the subject header.
  • Include, in English, the following information: Full name, gender, nationality, date of birth, profession, employer (media outlet), country of work, e-mail address and phone number.
  • Provide a web link/print screen/scan/photocopy of the media piece featuring your name as a proof it was published/broadcast in print/online/TV in one of the African media between 1 January and 31 December 2015.
Enter by 4 January 2016 final deadline

For more information, click here.

2 October: International Day of Non-Violence

“There are many causes that I am prepared to die for but no causes that I am prepared to kill for.” – Mahatma Gandhi, The Story of My Experiments with Truth, 1927

The International Day of Non-Violence is marked on 2 October, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, leader of the Indian independence movement and pioneer of the philosophy and strategy of non-violence.

According to General Assembly resolutionA/RES/61/271 of 15 June 2007, which established the commemoration, the International Day is an occasion to “disseminate the message of non-violence, including through education and public awareness”. The resolution reaffirms “the universal relevance of the principle of non-violence” and the desire “to secure a culture of peace, tolerance, understanding and non-violence”.

Introducing the resolution in the General Assembly on behalf of 140 co-sponsors, India’s Minister of State for External Affairs, Mr. Anand Sharma, said that the wide and diverse sponsorship of the resolution was a reflection of the universal respect for Mahatma Gandhi and of the enduring relevance of his philosophy. Quoting the late leader’s own words, he said: “Non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man”.

The life and leadership of Mahatma Gandhi

Gandhi, who helped lead India to independence, has been the inspiration for non-violent movements for civil rights and social change across the world. Throughout his life, Gandhi remained committed to his belief in non-violence even under oppressive conditions and in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges.

The theory behind his actions, which included encouraging massive civil disobedience to British law as with the historic Salt March of 1930, was that “just means lead to just ends”; that is, it is irrational to try to use violence to achieve a peaceful society. He believed that Indians must not use violence or hatred in their fight for freedom from colonialism.

Definition of Non-Violence

The principle of non-violence — also known as non-violent resistance — rejects the use of physical violence in order to achieve social or political change. Often described as “the politics of ordinary people”, this form of social struggle has been adopted by mass populations all over the world in campaigns for social justice.

Professor Gene Sharp, a leading scholar on non-violent resistance, uses the following definition in his publication, The Politics of Nonviolent Action:

“Nonviolent action is a technique by which people who reject passivity and submission, and who see struggle as essential, can wage their conflict without violence. Nonviolent action is not an attempt to avoid or ignore conflict. It is one response to the problem of how to act effectively in politics, especially how to wield powers effectively.”

While non-violence is frequently used as a synonym for pacifism, since the mid-twentieth century the term non-violence has been adopted by many movements for social change which do not focus on opposition to war.

One key tenet of the theory of non-violence is that the power of rulers depends on the consent of the population, and non-violence therefore seeks to undermine such power through withdrawal of the consent and cooperation of the populace.

There are three main categories of non-violence action:

  • protest and persuasion, including marches and vigils;
  • non-cooperation; and
  • non-violent intervention, such as blockades and occupations.

Documents

30 July: World Day against Trafficking in Persons

At any given time, an estimated 2.5 million people are trapped in modern-day slavery.

Men, women and children fall into the hands of traffickers both in their own countries and abroad. Every country in the world is affected by human trafficking, whether as a country of origin, transit or destination for victims. Slavery, in both its ancient and modern forms, is not only shameful, it is as the abolitionist John Wesley said “the execrable sum of all villanies,” and has no place in our world.

In 2010, the General Assembly adopted the Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons, urging Governments worldwide to take coordinated and consistent measures to defeat this scourge. The Plan calls for integrating the fight against human trafficking into the UN’s broader programmes in order to boost development and strengthen security worldwide. One of the crucial provisions in the Plan is the establishment of a UN Voluntary Trust Fund for victims of trafficking, especially women and children.

In 2013, the General Assembly held a high-level meeting to appraise the Global Plan of Action. Member States also adopted resolution A/RES/68/192 and designated July 30 as the World Day against Trafficking in Persons. This resolution declared that such a day was necessary to “raise awareness of the situation of victims of human trafficking and for the promotion and protection of their rights.”

Background

World Day against Trafficking in Persons was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly, in its resolution A/RES/68/192.

Trafficking in persons is a serious crime and a grave violation of human rights. Every year, thousands of men, women and children fall into the hands of traffickers, in their own countries and abroad. Almost every country in the world is affected by trafficking, whether as a country of origin, transit or destination for victims. UNODC, as guardian of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) and the Protocols thereto, assists States in their efforts to implement the  Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons (Trafficking in Persons Protocol).

Article 3, paragraph (a) of the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons defines Trafficking in Persons as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs.