Cambodia

NATIONAL CHILD AND YOUTH FORUM ON THE PROMOTION ACTION OF ANTI-TRAFFICKING 26-27 APRIL 2007, PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA

Children are the future of each country, and the ones who can ensure a country’s sustainable development.  However, trafficking in children and women gravely abuses their rights.

Trafficking in children has increased seriously and become a major concern.  It demands urgent firm measures to deal it with since it has strongly affected the physical, intellectual, spiritual and emotional development of children.  In our view, there are several main causes of trafficking involving children and youth, such as: poverty, lack of employment opportunity, low level of education, limited awareness of self-protection, sometimes parents cannot protect their children very well, and in addition, insufficient cooperation among countries; and many other reasons. 

We have learnt that trafficking in children and youth occurs in different forms such as hazardous manual work, sex work, domestic work, pornography etc. These have urged us - the victims of trafficking, children and youth at high risk of trafficking, and experienced young child rights’ activists from different provinces and municipalities – 62 children and youth, aged from 13-21 years of age to participate in the National Child and Youth Forum on “Promoting Action against Child and Youth Trafficking” on 26-27 April 2007 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

 

We shared our own experiences and views on trafficking as well as recommendations/declarations to help contribute to the policy planning and programs leading to effective and sustainable solutions.  Of those in attendance, 15 were victims of trafficking, 25 were among a high risk group for trafficking and 22 were children and youth activists.

We have come here to let all key government committees, relevant ministries and the COMMIT Task Force assigned to deal in combating trafficking in persons in order that they may hear our voices and know our real needs in relation to the issues of trafficking. We ask for full and strong support from the Royal Government of Cambodia on implementation of various activities to combat trafficking in persons.

(COMMIT Task Force is an inter-ministerial task force to implement MoUs between the Royal Government of Cambodia and other neighboring governments on the elimination of human trafficking and assist victims of trafficking)

"Children and youth are resources we cannot ignore in the implementation of our country’s sustainable development".