Say Yes, Winter 2008: Regional Director highlights trafficking

Maria Calivis, UNICEF Regional Director for the Central and Eastern Europe and Commonwealth of Independent States (CEE/CIS)
Photograph by Sema Hosta © UNICEF Turkey 2008

Maria Calivis, UNICEF Regional Director for the Central and Eastern Europe and Commonwealth of Independent States (CEE/CIS), has drawn attention to the extent of child trafficking in the region.

During a visit to the UNICEF Representation in Ankara in November 2007, Calivis told the state–owned Anatolian Agency that Eastern Europe and Central Asia, including Russia, accounted for a disproportionate 25% of human trafficking globally. Every single country in the region, she pointed out, was involved in some way. Children, the UNICEF director underlined, account for 10% of all human trafficking.

Likening the lucrative global networks behind the sexual exploitation of women and children to the many–headed hydra of classical Greek mythology, Calivis argued that all countries had to be involved in tackling the problem.

Child abuse

The expansion in trafficking comes at a time when Europe is stepping up its efforts to prevent child sexual abuse — an issue which until recently was often covered up on the pretext of protecting communities and families. According to the UNICEF Regional Director, a culture of listening more to children, as foreseen in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), is one factor that has helped to bring child abuse out into the open. Today, efficient protection systems are being designed which transcend the traditional compartmentalisation of service provision. International conventions have been signed requiring all countries to collect data and take action. Importantly, Calivis noted, the Council of Europe convention permits prosecution of offenders wherever the crime takes place.

Care in the family

Questioned about the best form of care for children without parents, Calivis stressed that all children have the right to live in functioning families, whereas institutionalisation greatly inhibits children’s development and has high social costs. Several countries in the region are successfully moving away from institutionalisation in favour of foster families, but the UNICEF director cautioned that the change should not be rushed without putting the necessary safeguards in place.

Previous page |

Skip to the page footer menu or select an item from this list ▼

SAY YES, WINTER 2008

Download this issue in pdf format. [PDF 660KB]

* How to use RSS …