Edmund Rice Justice Bulletin

The human rights of victims of trafficking need to be at the centre of efforts to combat human trafficking both in Australia and internationally according to the report submitted on behalf of fourteen Australian Religious Congregations to the UN Committee on the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in New York earlier this year.

This was just one of twenty one recommendations to the Australian government contained in the report which, while recognizing that significant advances had been made toward the elimination of trafficking in Australia in recent years, expressed the belief that much more could be done to effectively address the issue.

As part of their efforts to raise awareness in regard to the problem of trafficking in Australia the Good Shepherd Social Justice Network has established a Trafficking in Persons Clearinghouse a web-based resource which aims to be a central access point for information on the global problem of trafficking in persons, drawing together relevant material on human trafficking in the Australian region in particular.

Specifically, the clearinghouse aims to promote avid conversation on trafficking in persons and related issues through:
- the provision of published and unpublished resources, including both print and audio-visual materials;
- the provision of information regarding projects aimed at combating trafficking in persons;
- information on relevant news and upcoming events; and
- links to other national and international websites and resources.

A copy of the CEDAW shadow report is also available on the website.