A human rights framework to address trafficking of human beings

This article attempts to establish a human rights framework to promote better understanding of trafficking and to articulate obligations which can be imposed upon States. It begins by exploring the definition of trafficking of human beings adopted under the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons (Trafficking Protocol) attached to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime. It then highlights the advantages of using a human rights framework to the practice. The article continues with identification of human rights obligations imposed upon States to: 1) prohibit trafficking; 2) punish traffickers; 3) protect victims; and 4) address the causes and consequences of the act. Finally, the interaction among different branches of international law and its implication on the obligations imposed upon States will be examined. The main conclusion reached is that a human rights framework may be utilised to assist global action against the phenomenon, and several recommendations in this regard are presented.