“The Smile of the Child” actively contributes to the adoption of the UN Political Declaration on the implementation of the United Nations Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons
03 October 2017
New York, 28 September 2017
“The Smile of the Child”, member with consultative status with the UN ECOSOC and associated with the UN Department of Public Information, contributed to the process for the adoption from the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly of the Political Declaration on the implementation of the United Nations Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons.
More specifically, “The Smile of the Child” was invited to participate in the meeting organized on 27 September 2017 at the UN's Headquarters in New York that led to the final adoption by the UN General Assembly and was represented by its Head of International Cooperation, (Hon) Ambassador Marc Van den Reeck. “The Smile of the Child” applauds the adoption of the Political Declaration Resolution to Combat Trafficking in Persons and hopes that this will provide an enhanced platform for concrete policies from the Member States with a victim-oriented approach, particular attention to children and an adequately recognized role for genuine civil society organizations.
On the 23rd of June 2017, “The Smile of the Child” had contributed to a consultative hearing at the United Nations as part of the preparatory process that led up to the Political Declaration in September. “The Smile of the Child” called for a specific policy focus on children at risk and suggested a number of operational elements and benchmarks to ensure effective impact to the Political Declaration in terms of prevention, protection, prosecution and partnerships.
On both occasions “The Smile of the Child” put particular emphasis to the need to ensure friendly justice to the victims and their proper re-integration to society based on quality solutions, while it stressed the important role of civil society organizations in the field of identification, protection of the victims. In addition, the Organization underscored the role of prevention and awareness among children in danger, their families and professional groups which are bound to encounter cases of trafficking, such as law enforcement authorities, airline crew, school and health personnel.
“The Smile of the Child” shared its longstanding, as well as current experience from the ongoing social and refugee crisis in Greece, highlighting the fact that in spite of the obvious link between children going missing and getting trapped in trafficking, especially established hotlines, like the 116000 European Hotline for Missing Children operated in Greece by “The Smile of the Child” remain terribly underused, despite their record of success.
