The OAS welcomes the approval of the law against human trafficking in Ecuador

There Organization of American States (OAS) issued a statement welcoming the approval of the Organic Law against Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants from Ecuador.

After almost two years of legislative work, the approved and sanctioned bill to combat human trafficking and illegal migration has been published in the Official Gazette. The current text was promoted by the National Assembly’s Committee on International Relations and Human Mobility. In addition, the law received no objection from the President Guillermo Lasso.

According to the OAS, recently passed legislation creates mechanisms to prevent and combat human trafficking, such as human rights-based protection and assistance. The text has been called consistent with gender-sensitive, intercultural, intersectional in terms of people, territories, and intergenerational and mobility approaches. In addition, the law fills the regulatory void in this area and improves coordination between government agencies and their interactions with civil society.

The international organization has ensured that the law considerably strengthens the prevention of human trafficking through provisions relating to the supervision and regulation of the labor market, measures aimed at reduce the vulnerability of girls, boys and young people. In addition, it provides a period that allows victims to receive expert help to restore their physical, mental and emotional health, as well as legal assistance, regardless of the circumstances, whether or not they choose to cooperate with the system. judicial.

The normative norms of the approved law establish the creation of specialized units for compensation, integral reparation. The law is composed of 43 articles, 3 transitional provisions and 5 reforming provisions and a repeal in order to strengthen state action related to the investigation and prosecution of criminals who commit these crimes, in addition to establishing protective measures for victims.

The standard also establishes international cooperation to verify cases of human trafficking and delegate to a National Police Specialized Human Trafficking Unit direct the search, location, recovery, rescue and protection of victims of these crimes. These measures will allow affiliated organizations to work to strengthen the fight against these crimes which claim more victims every year.

In its statement, the OAS referred to a series of issues related to the regulation of human trafficking: the codification of this subject in a single normative instrument; there distinction between trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants in different chapters; there IDENTIFIER victims of trafficking, regardless of their participation in criminal investigation processes; there victim protection, whether or not they are involved in criminal proceedings; he strengthening coordination channels all government agencies and civil society at national and local levels; he empowerment and the expansion of victims’ rights; accessibility with a gender approach.

According to the international organization, with this normative instrument, Ecuador joins the international norms on human trafficking, and that the Department of Public Security of the Organization of American States reaffirms its commitment to contribute to its compliance.

Trafficking in persons and illegal trafficking in persons are two different figures of international human rights law. Human trafficking, trafficking in persons or human trafficking is the illegal movement of people for the purposes of labor, psychological, reproductive slavery, sexual exploitation, organ removal or any other form of modern slavery contrary to the will and well-being of the person subjected to this type of degrading treatment. While human smuggling ends when migrants reach their destination, human trafficking is the ongoing exploitation of victims in one way or another for the illicit profit of traffickers.

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