This Annotated Guide to the new UN Trafficking Protocol is a tool to assist advocates in the
development of a human rights framework for national anti-trafficking laws and policies. In
December 2000, the UN adopted international instruments to fight transnational organized crime
and additional agreements or protocols to combat trafficking in persons, smuggling and firearms.
The complete set of commitments made by governments regarding trafficking are found in the
Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime1, the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish
Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children2, and the Interpretative Notes (Travaux
Preparatoires)3 to the Trafficking Protocol. Taken together, these three documents comprise the
complete set of international obligations specifically addressing the trafficking of human beings.
However, the UN has not organized these three documents into one instrument, which forces
readers to refer to the documents separately. This Annotated Guide solves this problem by
combining the Trafficking Protocol, relevant portions of the Convention and the Interpretative
Notes into one document. The text of Trafficking Protocol and relevant Convention provisions are
contained in the main text while the Interpretative Notes (Travaux Preparatoires) are quoted in the
footnotes. (Advocates are advised to read the entire Convention, however, as they may find
additional provisions that are relevant in their national contexts.) Unofficial annotations to the
Trafficking Protocol and the Convention are contained in the boxes.
All governments can sign the Convention and the Trafficking Protocol. However, only countries
that sign the Convention can sign the Trafficking Protocol. As you will see in the list of signatory
parties4, most but not all governments have signed both instruments. After ratifying the
Convention and Trafficking Protocol, governments are obligated to adopt domestic laws
implementing the Convention and the Trafficking Protocol. However, even prior to ratification,
countries must not take actions that conflict with the purpose of the two instruments.