Introduction
The phenomenon of human trafficking is an atrocious violation of basic human rights, yet it remains a notorious part of reality. According to the definition provided by Gupta (2019), human trafficking is a “serious organized crime against humanity” involving the act of selling human beings (Gupta, 2019, p. 30). Currently, the levels of human trafficking reach 50,000 people per year in the U.S., as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2018) reports. Being a threat to global safety and well-being, the phenomenon of human trafficking has to be managed by reconsidering the existing policy statements of organizations responsible for monitoring the levels of human trafficking and preventing the phenomenon from taking place.
NASW Policy Statement
A range of organizations dealing with the problem of human rights violations focuses on the phenomenon of human trafficking. In its policy statement, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) indicates that the organization’s main goals include building public awareness about the dire effects of the subject matter and the increasing rates thereof (National Association of Social Workers, 2018). The focus on encouraging people to abandon stereotypes about the victims of human trafficking as promiscuous women and, instead, view them as victims of a crime against humanity is clearly a strength of the report.
Human Trafficking in Australia
The problem of human trafficking has spread across the globe, affecting all states, Australia not being an exception to this sad observation. As the recent reports on the incidents of human trafficking in Australia show, the problem is not as common in the specified state as in other parts of the world, yet the issue remains a serious social concern (Australia Federal Police, 2018). As a result, the Australia Federal Police has issued several statements that outline the necessity to eliminate the phenomenon from the social landscape of Australia or, at the very least, to minimize the threat of exposure to human trafficking for Australian citizens (Australia Federal Police, 2018). Overall, despite a generally safer environment and lower crime rates, Australia has also seen a rise in the rates of human trafficking, which indicates that the problem has to be addressed on a global level.
United Nations’ Position on the Issue
Currently, the United Nations (UN) has a very strong viewpoint on the subject matter. The position that the UN has adopted in regard to the issue of human trafficking is very rigid. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2018) (UNODC) has issued several statements in which the organization delineates its stance on the problem, focusses on the causes thereof and the methods of eradicating it, and strives to raise awareness about the dire effects that it has on the global society. However, the organization seems to lack control over the problem and the causes thereof, which hampers its management.
Personal Position on the Issue
Human trafficking as a form of slavery that has entered the present-day society has always seemed abhorrent to me. I am inclined to believe that human trafficking is linked to poverty, low education levels among vulnerable groups, and the lack of social support. Therefore, introducing the specified element into the prevention of human trafficking on a local scale could help in managing the issue.
Conclusion
By shaping the current policies for reducing and eliminating human trafficking toward the focus on values and conditions that condition people to participate in it, one will contribute to addressing the problem. While the UN and similar organizations have devised numerous programs for handling the issue of human trafficking, it still remains a part of the modern criminal environment. Thus, reconsidering the approach toward it by increasing awareness, literacy, and safety levels locally, will affect the problem positively.
References
Australia Federal Police. (2018). Human trafficking. Web.
Gupta, P. (2019). Transnational human trafficking: An unsolved issue. International Journal of Political Activism and Engagement (IJPAE), 6(2), 30-41. Web.
National Association of Social Workers. (2018). Social work speaks, 11th edition: NASW policy statement- 2018-2020 (11th ed.). Oxford, UK: NASW Press.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2018). Global report on trafficking in persons 2018. Web.