Lithuania Co-sponsors HRC41 side event on Trafficking in Women and Girls in the Context of Global Migration
Updated 2019-06-26
On 25 June 2019, the Permanent Missions of Austria, Germany and Lithuania in Geneva together with the UN Women and OHCHR organised a side event in the margins of the 41st session of the Human Rights Council in order to discuss how to adequately address trafficking in women and girls and their exploitation in the context of global migration, to end prevailing impunity of perpetrators, and to ensure rehabilitation and social inclusion of victims.
The discussion, commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Committee for the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), was opened by Professor Dalia Leinartė, former Chairperson and current member of CEDAW. In her opening remarks, Professor Dalia Leinartė introduced draft General Recommendation on Combatting Trafficking in Women and Girls in the Context of Global Migration, which is being developed by the CEDAW working group led by Professor. The General Recommendation will provide guidance on how states can better implement their obligations to respect, protect and fulfil women’s human rights in the context of trafficking and global migration.
Event participants were deeply touched by the personal account by Ms Sherifa Huhammed (Nigeria) about how the Austrian NGO LEFÖ saved her from the hands of traffickers.
The event was attended by a large group of diplomats of the UN Member States and NGO representatives. Other panellists included UN Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children, the Permanent Representative of Austria, representatives of UN Women and UNODC. The Lithuanian Permanent Representative took the floor in the discussion with the panellists.
