Action needed from Cuba against traffickers – UN expert

Cuba should look into changing trafficking laws to protect victims and prosecute facilitators, a UN human rights expert has said.

Speaking at the end of a five-day tour, UN Special Rapporteur Maria Grazia Giammarinaro noted the Caribbean nation's willingness to tackle the issue but insisted more needed to be done.

She said: “Although cases of trafficking in the country may appear to be limited, the number of criminal prosecutions and victims assisted is still too modest, and shows that a proactive approach to detection of the problem is needed.

“The focus of Cuba’s anti-trafficking action so far has been sexual exploitation. However, recent developments which have created new opportunities for individual initiatives in the tourist sector require vigilance to stamp out any cases of labour exploitation; the use of foreign workers in the construction industry should also be monitored."

Cuba's multi-disciplinary action plan to combat trafficking, designed to cover 2017-2020, was approved by the UN before Giammarinaro visited – the first approval by the UN in a decade.

“The real challenge will be the implementation of measures provided for in the document, especially aimed at identifying and supporting victims, while respecting their human rights,” the special rapporteur said.

The UN expert praised Cuba’s universal and free systems for education, healthcare and social security, saying they helped to reduce the vulnerability of Cuban citizens to trafficking.

Special rapporteurs are appointed by the UN's Human Rights Council to report on specific countries or issues. They are not UN staff, and are not paid for their services.