Between Faith and Diplomacy
The Armenian Patriarchate’s unique role in Turkey
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May 25, 2010
AGBU-UN Special Interest Group Hosts Event on Human Trafficking in Armenia
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His Excellency Garen Nazarian, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Permanent Mission of Armenia to the UN, speaks to the guests of the March 31 event in New York, which sought to raise awareness about human trafficking in Armenia. -
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Aleta Miller from the UN Population Fund, Eastern Europe and Central Asia Regional Office, speaks about the problem of human trafficking in the Caucasus. -
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AGBU-UN Special Interest Group committee members.
Nearly 100 guests from the international community attended an AGBU-United Nations Special Interest Group (UN-SIG) lecture and film screening at AGBU's New York Central Office on March 31 to raise awareness about human trafficking in Armenia.
Armenia is primarily a source country for women and girls trafficked to the United Arab Emirates and Turkey for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation, although Armenian men and women are also trafficked as forced labor. The Armenian government has recently begun efforts to combat trafficking, including compliance with international standards for prevention and prosecution of traffickers.
After a welcoming address by AGBU's Main Representative to the UN, Viktoria Grigorian, His Excellency Garen Nazarian, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Permanent Mission of Armenia to the UN, spoke about the Armenian government's efforts to combat human trafficking and its progress in complying with international standards on the issue.
A screening of "Desert Nights" – a documentary investigating the lives of Armenian women trafficked to Dubai for purposes of sexual exploitation — further illustrated the dark realities of victims of human trafficking and the challenges that national and international institutions face in their efforts to combat this global human rights problem.
The film screening was followed by a presentation by Aleta Miller from the UN Population Fund, Eastern Europe and Central Asia Regional Office. Miller gave an overview of global trends in human trafficking, pointing to potential socioeconomic and political conditions that foster exploitation. She also stressed the importance of committed cooperation between local, regional, and international organizations in combating and eliminating this epidemic.
A lively question-and-answer session was followed by a wine reception.
Since 2007, the AGBU UN-SIG has worked to broaden AGBU's role at the UN and promote grassroots support from the local Armenian community. To make a donation or for general inquiries, please visit agbu.org/un. To view photos from the event, visit flickr.com/agbu.
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