Integrating a Human Rights Perspective into the European Approach to Combating the Trafficking of Women for Sexual Exploitation

This article examines the European approach to combating human trafficking, with a focus on the trafficking of women into and within the European Union (EU). This article begins by examining human trafficking within the EU, and considers current international and European strategies to combat trafficking. Highlighting the shortcomings of criminal approaches, the author emphasizes the importance of adopting a rights-based approach to prevent human trafficking. She argues that states violate their international obligations when they ignore the victims human rights. The author then provides a comprehensive analysis of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (2005) and recommends states follow this model, which adopts an integrated approach focused on both criminalizing trafficking and protecting victims human rights.