Writes Dioscuros, Headline Diplomat eMagazine, LUDCI.eu
The aviation industry is the business of freedom. It connects businesses to markets, reunites friends and families, imports & transportss cultures, and promotes tourism. On average, airlines connect over 4 billion passengers every year. Regrettably, the ease, speed, and efficiency of air travel also makes it an effective foam for promoting criminal activities, such as drugs and human trafficking. Criminals use airlines to traffic children, women, and men illegally, across the globe.
According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), it estimates that around 24.9 million people are victims of modern-day slavery. What’s alarming is that more than 75% of the victims are women and children. That’s why the United Nations (UN) is working around the clock to devise ways to stop and prevent human trafficking. The UN is working with various bodies around the world, with the aviation industry included.
During a Montreal-based International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) convention in 2020, a major step was taken when the UN launched a new online training to support the implementation of the ICAO-OHCHR guidelines for training cabin crew on identifying and responding to trafficking in persons.
The training was created in cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The free e-learning course features the peculiar opportunities cabin crew have to monitor passengers throughout their flights and probably recognize and help human trafficking victims. “The entire global aviation community has a key role to play in preventing trafficking in persons,” stressed ICAO Secretary General Dr. Fang Liu. “The development of the new training, based on the ICAO-OHCHR guidelines provides an important foundation from which we can offer critical capacity-building, and ultimately help put an end to the abuse of international air transport by traffickers.”
Even though the responsibility for discovering, arresting, and prosecuting individuals committing human trafficking lies with the government and other law enforcement agencies, the airline industry understands that it can act as a vital role in assisting to stop and prevent the crime from taking place. For instance, a joint forum to combat human trafficking in aviation was held in Geneva, Switzerland by ICAO and OHCHR. In one of his statements, Dr. Fang Lui, Secretary-General of ICAO said, “States and Civil Aviation Authorities can contribute to this noble aim by adopting the new guidelines we developed by disseminating them to the airline operators registered in their jurisdictions.”
In June 2018, the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) Airline members, which is in charge of up to 83% of global air traffic collectively agreed on a solution against human trafficking during its 74th Annual General Meeting, in Sydney Australia. Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO, said, “Aviation is a business of freedom, flying 4 billion people to every corner of the earth last year alone. Some, however, try to use our networks nefariously. Trafficking in people creates misery for millions and funds criminal gangs and terrorism. As a responsible industry, our members are determined to help authorities stamp out human trafficking.”
Speaking at the same conference, Mr. Jean-Luc Lemahieu, UNODC Director of the Division for Policy Analysis and Public Affairs, said, “We are looking to transportation companies for their help in the fight against human trafficking by being additional compassionate eyes and ears,” he added, “Given that their staff contact and spend time with passengers, particularly cabin crew onboard flights, airlines, and the wider aviation industry is well placed to help.”
Several airlines have started to implement ways of combating human and child trafficking. For instance, Sky Regional Airlines, which runs as Air Canada Express, was the first Airline in Canada to enforce a joint flight and cabin crew training programme to discover and react to suspected cases of human trafficking on board. “Cabin crew continues to be our best asset when it comes to ensuring the safety, security, and wellbeing of our passengers on board,” said Ms. Mikaela Dontu, Director of Inflight at Sky Regional, pioneered the training programme. She added, “it seems only natural to benefit from their expertise. The training we developed is based on specific guidelines and it gives our crews the knowledge and tools they need to handle suspected cases of human trafficking for the best possible outcome.”
While the content of guidelines is relevant to the cabin crew members, the problem of trafficking and battling it entails various stakeholders, aside from the cabin crew. Besides the flight crew, all personnel to airports should as well as be coached to identify trafficking in persons and how to report any suspected case to the relevant authorities.
Another incidence where the aviation industry has shown how it can battle human trafficking is the Houston Airport System. In 2016, the Houston Airport System, which runs William P Hobby Airport (HOU) and George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), established an anti-human trafficking awareness programme. The squad collaborated with customs and border protection and formed a campaign that featured changing public perceptions and bettering links to support for victims, prior to sharing it with other municipalities. Saba Abashawl, Houston Airport System chief external affairs officer, said, ”The more we are aware of the signs, of the impact, and what we can do to help recognize and stop human trafficking, the more weapons we have in our arsenal to combat it.”
Conclusion:
The aviation industry is very critical when it comes to fighting human trafficking. Since air travel is one of the major mode of transporting trafficking victims, all the aviation stakeholders have to be involved. The fight shouldn’t be just left for the cabin crew, but to pilots, gate agents, and other staff as well. The IATA #Eyesopen campaign is a good example of how the aviation industry, its employees, and the general public can work together to stop human trafficking.
Through awareness, collaboration, and training, the aviation industry will manage to reduce or even stop human and child trafficking activities in its industry. From this post, you can see that various stakeholders in the aviation have already started playing their parts and devising ways on how to stop this vice.
Featured photo by Spencer Davis, Pexels
