Athens Round Table Business Community Against the Trafficking of Human Beings

Athens, Greece 24 January 2006 - Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Alexander II and Crown Princess Katherine attended Athens Round Table Business Community Against the Trafficking of Human Beings. The conference was organized by The Suzanne Mubarak Women’s International Peace Movement and Global Coalition Women Defending Peace, Co-sponsored by DCAF, IOM, UNIFEM, UNODC, World Bank, Foundation for the Child and Family of Mrs. Marianna Vardinoyannis.

The world’s attention has become increasingly focused on the serious problem of human trafficking, the victims of which are overwhelmingly women and children, and usually migrants away from their countries or communities of origin.

A new global report on forced labour by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) suggests that the illicit profits realized per year from trafficked forced labourers- US$ 32 billion - are far greater than has so far been understood. Half of this is made in industrialized countries and close to one third in Asia. Some US$ 28 billion per year is made from sexual exploitation of women and US$ 4 billion annually from other forms of economic exploitation.

Most of this exploitation takes place in the underground economy, and done through the illegal sex industry. The traffickers have been linked with unscrupulous recruiting or contracting agencies.

The conference was also attended by Her Majesty Queen Silvia of Sweden, Her Highness Shaikha Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, wife of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain, Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak, wife of His Excellency President Mubarak of Egypt. His Excellency Dr. and Mrs. Boutros Boutros Ghali, former Secretary General of the United Nations. Several Greek ministers were also present.