B3-1264, 1283 and 1309/93

Resolution on trade in women

The European Parliament,

-having regard to the UN Conventions of 1949 on the suppression and abolition of trade in human beings and of 1979 on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women,

-having regard to the European Convention on Human Rights and to such international agreements as the ILO Conventions,

-having regard to the declaration by the European Council in Edinburgh concerning the principles governing the external aspects of migration policy,

-having regard to the declaration of 2 June 1993 by the Trevi Ministers on trade in human beings (press release),

-having regard to the resolution on illegal immigration (abduction) adopted in June 1993 by the Ministers responsible for immigration,

-having regard to its resolutions on the free movement of persons and on immigration, especially those of 18 and 19 November 1992,

-having regard to its resolution of 15 July 1993 on European immigration policy,

-having regard to its resolution of 22 January 1993 on Europol,

-having regard to its resolution of 11 June 1986 on violence against women,

-having regard to its resolution of 14 April 1989 on the exploitation of prostitution and trade in human beings,

A.whereas submitting any person to slavery, servitude or degrading treatment represents a crime against human dignity and a serious violation of human rights,

B.whereas trade in human beings is largely a result of the imbalance in international economic relations and whereas this problem concerns both development policy and the policy on international cooperation with the countries of the South and the countries of Eastern Europe,

C.whereas some people do not resort to prostitution of their own free will, but are forced to do so by a third party or by need as a result of the economic conditions of poverty, unemployment and insecurity in which they live;

D.whereas trade in women is a form of slavery associated with serious international crime and whereas the fight against this form of slavery should be directed primarily at the illegal networks and procurers rather than the victims,

E.whereas Europol is required to exchange information on serious crime,

F.noting that, owing to the lack of legal status, prostitution is an activity undertaken in a grey area of society,

G.whereas the Ministers of the Twelve, meeting as the Trevi Group, have instructed the Trevi 3 Group to consider the action taken by the police to combat trade in human beings and especially sexual exploitation through traffic in children and women, with a view to harmonizing such action, where necessary, and increasing its effectiveness,

1.Believes that the problem of trade in women calls for international cooperation in the fight against serious crime and the drafting of international agreements on the protection of women and girls against persecution and the trade in human beings;

2.Calls on the authorities, and especially the European Community and the bodies which the Twelve have jointly established to ensure cooperation among their police forces and to combat serious crime, to undertake to collaborate closely and positively with organizations and NGOs which care for the victims by, inter alia, formulating a policy to combat illegal immigration;

3.Believes that this policy should respect human rights and the principles contained in Parliament's resolutions;

4.Emphasizes that this common policy should seek to thwart those who exploit human beings and should achieve a social goal so that people who prostitute themselves may have access to the whole range of health care facilities and to education and training measures, thus enabling them to resume their place in the labour market and society;

5.Calls on the Commission to coordinate this policy and to arrange a meeting with all the bodies concerned, especially the Parliament;

6.Asks to be informed and consulted by the Trevi Group, and especially its chairman, on the outcome of the Trevi 3 Group's activities and its proposals;

7.Calls on Europol to participate in the fight against trade in women and the networks used for the traffic in human beings;

8.Considers that effective coordination by the Member States is needed to combat money laundering;

9.Calls on the governments of the Member States to adopt, at a forthcoming Council meeting, a declaration denouncing the exploitation of enforced prostitution and trade in women and promising Community measures to combat such exploitation and penalties for trading in women and human beings in general;

10.Calls on the Member States to adopt legal provisions to protect the rights, dignity and safety of the victims of trade in women, and, in particular, to:

(a)give migrant women the legal right to residence and protection when they are witnesses before, during and after legal proceedings against trade in human beings,

(b)permit victims of this international trade to remain in their territory, especially when their repatriation might pose a threat to their personal safety or expose them to renewed exploitation;

(c)grant the victims of trade in human beings the right to bring secondary actions;

11.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the ad hoc immigration group, the Trevi Group and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.