109 HRES 860 IH: Calling on the Government of Germany to U.S. House of Representatives 2006-06-09 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

IV 109th CONGRESS 2d Session H. RES. 860 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES June 9, 2006 Mr. Smith of New Jersey submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations RESOLUTION Calling on the Government of Germany to take immediate action to combat sex trafficking in connection with the 2006 FIFA World Cup, and for other purposes.

Whereas trafficking in human beings, for sexual or labor exploitation, is an egregious violation of human rights; Whereas Congress passed and the President signed into law the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (division A of Public Law 106–386), the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2003 (Public Law 108–193), and the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005 (Public Law 109–186) in order to promote vigorous efforts worldwide to combat all forms of trafficking in human beings; Whereas major sporting events, conventions, and other such events that attract large numbers of people have been shown to result in an increase in the demand for commercial sexual services; Whereas pimps and traffickers are aware of this demand and respond to it by trafficking women and girls for prostitution at such events; Whereas trafficked women are often persuaded to cross international borders by false promises of legitimate employment in other countries, before being forced to engage in prostitution; Whereas Germany is a major destination country for trafficking of women and children for prostitution, and there are an estimated 400,000 women in prostitution in Germany, 75 percent of whom are foreigners; Whereas the 2006 FIFA World Cup will be played in 12 German cities and millions of fans will be in attendance; Whereas individuals and organized crime groups that traffic women and girls for prostitution are expected to increase their activity before and during the 2006 World Cup; Whereas in December 2001, Germany legalized pimping, prostitution, and maintaining a brothel, and officially stated that prostitution is no longer to be seen as immoral; Whereas Germany’s legalized prostitution industry has been preparing to increase its capacity in anticipation of the 2006 World Cup; Whereas prostitution and related activities—including pimping and patronizing or maintaining brothels—provide a façade behind which sex traffickers can operate; Whereas in March 2006 the European Parliament adopted a resolution on forced prostitution in the context of world sports events, stating that major sporting events at which large numbers of people congregate results in a temporary and spectacular increase in the demand for sexual services and then listing a number of actions that should be undertaken by Germany and others; Whereas in April 2006, the European Union Justice and Home Affairs Council adopted a list of best practices that should be undertaken by member states holding major international events, including the development and implementation of measures that discourage the demand for trafficking victims; Whereas Germany has signed the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children; Whereas in February 2006 the United Nations Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children reported to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights: For the most part, prostitution as actually practised in the world usually does satisfy the elements of trafficking. . . . Thus, State parties [to the United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children] with legalized prostitution industries have a heavy responsibility to ensure that the conditions which actually pertain to the practice of prostitution within their borders are free from the illicit means delineated in subparagraph (a) of the [UN Protocol] definition, so as to ensure that their legalized prostitution regimes are not simply perpetuating widespread and systematic trafficking. As current conditions throughout the world attest, States parties that maintain legalized prostitution are far from satisfying this obligation.; and Whereas article 9, paragraph 5, of the United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children states: States Parties shall adopt or strengthen legislative or other measures, such as educational, social or cultural measures, including through bilateral and multilateral cooperation, to discourage the demand that fosters all forms of exploitation of persons, especially women and children, that leads to trafficking.: Now, therefore, be it

That the House of Representatives— (1)calls on the Government of Germany to take immediate action to combat sex trafficking in connection with the 2006 FIFA World Cup; (2)calls on Germany to take measures to discourage the demand that fosters all forms of exploitation of persons, especially women and children, that leads to trafficking, including by raising awareness among potential users of prostitution and by reconsidering the effect of legalized prostitution in creating the demand for prostitution and trafficking; (3)urges countries throughout Europe, including Germany, to support vigorously public awareness campaigns to inform and educate the general public, particularly athletes, sports fans, and financial sponsors of the 2006 World Cup, about the potential for trafficking in human beings in response to the rising demand; (4)encourages governments, international organizations, and nongovernmental organizations to engage in campaigns targeting potential victims and informing them of the risks and dangers of becoming caught in human trafficking networks, particularly at the time of the 2006 World Cup; (5)commends the Final Whistle—Stop Forced Prostitution Campaign launched by the National Council of German Women’s Organizations and calls on sports associations, including the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), the German Football Association, and others to support this campaign and roundly condemn trafficking in human beings and forced prostitution; (6)encourages sponsors of the 2006 World Cup, as well as tour operators and air transportation service providers, to join in the efforts to end the sexual exploitation of women and girls and prevent trafficking in human beings; (7)urges athletes and coaches of teams competing in the 2006 World Cup to denounce the sexual exploitation of women and girls and to encourage prevention of trafficking in human beings; and (8)urges Germany and all countries to ratify or accede to, and to implement, the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime and the United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children.