Panama Approves a Law to Combat Human Trafficking
The new regulation updates a broad participatory and consensus process, said UNODC.
According to UNODC, between 2019 and 2022, the number of victims detected worldwide for trafficking for forced labor increased by 47%. With the intention of strengthening the capacity to combat human trafficking in Panama, Law No. 458 was enacted, which reforms Law No. 79 of 2011 on the repression of this type of crime. Another of the highlights of the new law, which came into force after its publication in the Official Gazette on December 3, is the protection of victims. The new law updates a broad participatory and consensus process and takes advantage of 12 years of experience in implementing the previous legislation, namely Law No. 79. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Law No. 458 represents a decisive step towards aligning national regulations with the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children (known as the Palermo Protocol), and with international standards.
In addition, there was an update on new modus operandi of organizations dedicated to human trafficking. UNODC provided technical advice on the drafting of this legislation, thereby reaffirming its commitment to supporting national legislation that is in line with international standards. For this reason, UNODC stressed that Panama is significantly strengthening its capacity to act against human trafficking, moving towards a fairer system. The Global Report on Trafficking in Persons 2024 noted that the number of detected victims of this crime increased by 25% due to the rise in child exploitation and cases of forced labor. “Between 2019 and 2022, the number of victims of trafficking for forced labor detected worldwide increased by 47%,” UNODC said. According to the report, this increase is occurring as poverty, conflict and climate change leave more people vulnerable to exploitation. The report also records a 25% increase in the number of trafficking victims detected worldwide in 2022, compared to figures prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
