European Parliament
Figueiredo (GUE/NGL ),
in writing
(PT)
Given the extremely poor living conditions of millions and millions of migrants and victims of trafficking in human beings throughout the world and in Europe, who are forced to endure situations of unacceptable exploitation and humiliation, without any rights, I welcome the Council’s conclusion of the agreement on the UN Convention against organised transnational crime and the protocols thereto against the trafficking of persons and the smuggling of migrants.
This is an instrument of international law that will contribute to closer cooperation between countries in the fight against organised crime, in particular by harmonising the definition of offences (involvement in an organised criminal network, money laundering, obstruction of justice and corruption), through measures including mutual legal assistance and joint investigations.
The protocols, for their part, are designed to enable measures to be developed to combat trafficking in human beings  in particular women and children  thereby protecting such people against slavery, sexual exploitation and illegal employment. These measures include providing victims with assistance and support. These are measures that need to be implemented urgently and effectively, and absolutely must be complemented by other policies to combat the deep-rooted societal causes of today’s organised economic crime, from financial crime to the exploitation of men, women and children.

