Below is a short summary of some of the key issues from Belize's report by the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children. Read the full text. Please note that this is not an official UN summary.
A/HRC/26/37/Add.6
The Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children, conducted an official visit to Belize from 12 to 16 December 2013. Belize is a destination, transit and a source country for victims of trafficking mainly from Central America but also Asia. Trafficking in persons in Belize disproportionately affects women mainly trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation; particularly women and girl children from the neighbouring countries of Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras who are forced into dancing and offering sexual services in bars. Sexual exploitation also affects Belizean women and especially teenage girls trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation by family members. It was reported that Belizean women and girls are trafficked internally to work in bars, nightclubs, and brothels primarily in the areas of San Pedro, Cayo District and Belize City. Belize, a middle income country, has also been perceived as offering many economic opportunities in the sub-region thus favouring migrant smuggling influx as well as trafficking for labour exploitation in the agriculture, fishing, construction and services sectors whereby migrant workers have been lured on the promise of better job opportunities. Men and children from neighbouring Central American countries are most often trafficked for exploitation in the banana industry while Indian, Nepalese and Chinese migrants have been identified as victims of trafficking for labour exploitation in restaurants, shops and constructions companies owned by persons of same nationalities as those trafficked. It was further reported that women from Central America are also exploited as domestic workers.
At the international level, the Government of Belize signed and ratified international instruments, including the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and its Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography and Worst forms of child labour Convention (ILO n° 182). At the regional level, Belize is a member of the Organization of American States (OAS) and ratified the Inter-American Convention on the Protection, Punishment and Eradication of Violence against Women as well as the Inter-American Convention on the International Traffic in Minors. In this regard, the Special Rapporteur noted that the political commitment to end human trafficking clearly exists in Belize and is demonstrated by the ratification of international legal instruments including the Palermo Protocol; the revision and strengthening of the national law to combat trafficking in persons as well as the establishment by law of a multi-sectorial body empowered to carry out the fight against trafficking in persons. She further observed that government engagement with international partners to enhance capacity and raise awareness on trafficking in persons and the commercial sexual exploitation of children is a positive first step and such partnerships should be expanded and sustained.
The Special Rapporteur however raised a number of concerns including: the absence of comprehensive identification protocols coupled with important capacity gaps; the absence of reliable statistical data and assessment of the phenomenon at the national level; the rampant and indiscriminate criminalization of irregular migrants leading to the detention and deportations of potential victims. She further expressed concerns with regards to the absence of a comprehensive victim protection and assistance program still to become institutionalized. She also expressed concerns with regards to the growing problem of crimes against children, especially sexual exploitation of young girls from poor families. The ‘fichera” phenomena was brought to the attention of the Special Rapporteur and refers to a practice whereby men pay a higher price to drink in the company of adolescent or youth women who work in bars. The practice has been identified as a gateway introduction to prostitution. In view of her observations, the Special Rapporteur made recommendations regarding the international and national frameworks, the identification, training and capacity building process, support services for victims of trafficking and prosecution and prevention efforts to combat the problem of trafficking in Belize.
