Unsplash photo by Tim Mossholder.
In the meeting and event industry, we pride ourselves on having a positive impact on the communities that we visit. However, there is a scourge lurking beneath the surface of the industry that we can no longer turn a blind eye to. It is time to gather our courage and take a stand for those who can’t by wearing a blue heart on the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons (WDATP) on July 30. This year’s theme is “Government Action” and calls participants to implore their governments to act to eradicate trafficking in persons.
The Role of the Meeting and Event Industry
The UN’s Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons defines human trafficking as “the recruitment, transportation, transfer…of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person…”
As the definition makes clear, trafficking victims are coerced through force, threats or false promises. Often, migrant and displaced peoples are targeted and promised jobs or threatened and sold into modern-day slavery, however, trafficking can happen anywhere to anyone, and it is all around us.
According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) 2018 Global Report, 58 percent of trafficking victims are taken in their own country. In other words, even if we believe that it can’t happen here, to us or the people around us, the truth is that it can and will and the meeting and event industry is a prime target for this heinous crime.
It is undeniable that hotels are a common and convenient location for traffickers to board and sell victims while giving them a measure of anonymity. Not only are hotels a prime location for traffickers, but the meeting industry also provides hunting grounds for victims and is a convenient industry to seduce people with the promise of a job.
MPI has taken an active role in this fight. The organization is a signatory to “The Code,” an important document—and pledge—by a global network of associations and corporations committed to taking significant actions in the worldwide fight against human trafficking. Click here to learn more about our ongoing coverage about the fight against human trafficking in The Meeting Professional, as well as how ECPAT-USA is helping meeting planners do their part.
Four Actions to Support WDATP
- Wear a blue heart in support of the Blue Heart Campaign. By wearing the Blue Heart everyone can show their support and express their solidarity with trafficking victims. Trafficking happens all around us and gives even more importance to the thematic focus of World Day 2019, encouraging everyone to call their government to action to fight this heinous crime.
- Take the Tourism Child-Protection Code of Conduct and educate yourself and employees to recognize the signs of trafficking.
- If you see something, say something. Call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at (888) 373-7888 if you notice any of the signs of trafficking. There are also multiple services in different U.S. states, about which more information can be found in the ECPAT USA survey of state laws for human trafficking.
- Donate to the UN Voluntary Trust Fund for Victims of Human Trafficking. The UN Trust Fund for Victims of Trafficking in Persons provides aid and protection to victims of trafficking by identifying vulnerable victims, especially women and children, and offers essential services such as shelter, food, medical care, psychosocial support, legal aid, vocational training, access to justice and compensation.
