Terminology of Trafficking in Persons

Trafficking in persons, or human trafficking as it is also known, is defined in the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. Article 3, paragraph (a) of the Protocol defines trafficking as a process with three key elements:

1. An act involving recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring, or receipt of persons;
2. By means of threat, deception, force, or other forms of coercion;
3. For the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation may take various forms, including sexual exploitation, forced labour, forced begging, organ removal, and slavery and slavery-like practices.

The recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of a child for the purpose of exploitation shall be considered “trafficking in persons” even if this does not involve threat, use of force, or coercion.