FROM BONDAGE TO FREEDOM
71
witnesses from potential intimidation or retaliation166. This includes
physical protection, relocation, and within legal constraints, concealment
of identities.
The Convention further calls on States to support the efforts of
developing countries to fight transnational organized crime and assist
them to implement the Convention through technical cooperation as well
as financial and material assistance167.
The Convention establishes a Conference of the Parties to promote
and review its implementation as well as to more generally improve the
capacity of State Parties to combat transnational organized crime168. The
Conference of Parties will have a special role in facilitating several of the
cooperative measures envisaged under the Convention including: the
provision of technical assistance; information exchange; and cooperation
with international and non-governmental organizations169. It is also
responsible for periodic examination of the implementation of the
Convention as well as making recommendations to improve the
Convention and its implementation170. The State Parties are required to
provide regular reports on progress made in implementation. In addition,
the Conference of Parties may itself establish additional review mechanism
including “peer review”. It is relevant to note that the Conference of
Parties will be solely concerned with the Convention and will not have
any authority in respect to the protocols, except in so far as their respective
subject matters can be brought within the provisions of the Convention
itself.
Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons,
Especially Women and Children, supplementing the UN Convention
Against Transnational Organized Crime
A. Origin / Background
The idea of a separate Protocol on Trafficking was first mooted at a
meeting of an inter-governmental group of experts established by the
General Assembly to develop a preliminary draft of the proposed
Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime. On the question
166
Ibid., Art. 25(1).
167
Ibid., Art. 30.
168
Ibid., Art. 32(1).
169
Ibid., Art. 32(3a and 3c).
170
Ibid., Art 32 (3a and 3e)