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HUMAN RIGHTS

 

Comment

The United Nations (UN) Declaration on Human Rights was the biggest step taken in modern times towards addressing inequalities on a global platform. For the first time goals were marked out that would lead to greater equality amongst nations and their peoples so that the "down- trodden" and marginalised could hope for better opportunities in their lives.
The rights to decent employment, education, housing, health and food, religious/spiritual freedom together with the ability to be involved in government and having access to good legal processes were an attempt to identify what would give all people the basic necessities from which a better quality of life could be lived.

In order to address the appalling circumstances that surround a victim of trafficking, the human rights agreement helps law enforcement agencies, governments and other agencies establish where the boundaries are between what is internationally considered acceptable levels of human dignity and what falls short of them.

Many people, including government officials, now recognise that victims of human trafficking have their human rights violated to a severe degree. This enables them to use internationally agreed legislation to prevent and punish those who perpetrate trafficking.

The Open Horizons group, like many other agencies working with the issues of trafficking have been very glad to have this UN declaration as a recognised yardstick by which they can judge where abuse begins and where conditions become unacceptable. Indeed the British Governments Commission on Human Rights urged the government to see trafficking as a violation of individuals human rights.

 

 

 

  

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