SAARC CONVENTION ON PREVENTING AND COMBATING TRAFFICKING IN WOMEN AND CHILDREN FOR PROSTITUTION THE MEMBER STATES OF THE SOUTH ASIAN ASSOCIATION FOR REGIONAL COOPERATION (SAARC), PARTIES TO THE PRESENT CONVENTION EMPHASISING that the evil of trafficking in women and children for the purpose of prostitution is incompatible with the dignity and honor of human beings and is a violation of basic human rights; RECALLING the decision of the Ninth SAARC Summit (May, 1997) that the feasibility of a regional Convention to combat the grave crime of trafficking in women and children for prostitution should be explored; RECALLING ALSO the relevant international legal instruments relating to prevention of trafficking in women and children, including the Convention for the Suppression of Trafficking in Persons and of the Exploitation of Prostitution of Others, 1949; Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, 1979; International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 1966; and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989; GIVING due regard to the implementation of the recommendations of the various pertinent International Bodies and Conferences including the Fourth World Conference on Women at Beijing (1995); NOTING with concern the increasing exploitation by traffickers of women and children from SAARC countries and their increasing use of these countries as sending, receiving and transit points; RECOGNISING in this regard the importance of establishing effective regional cooperation for preventing trafficking for prostitution and for investigation, detection, interdiction, prosecution and punishment of those responsible for such trafficking; EMPHASISING the need to strengthen cooperation in providing assistance, rehabilitation and repatriation to victims of trafficking for prostitution; HAVE AGREED as follows: 55