Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today, I rise to speak on a very significant global milestone in the fight against orphanage trafficking. Sometimes in this place, success can take many years, but, ultimately, it is worth the effort. Last month, I was greatly honoured to represent the Australian parliament at the 147th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, which was held in Angola. There, the tumultuous world political climate and issues of today were very much evident, but two resolutions were passed at the assembly. I'm delighted to say that a resolution on orphanage trafficking was one of the two resolutions passed. I presented, as the IPU rapporteur, a resolution entitled 'Orphanage trafficking: The role of parliaments in reducing harm'. I'm incredibly proud that this comprehensive action plan was endorsed unanimously by all 180 national governments. As I said, it was one of only two resolutions that were passed. In fact, having had a look, I see that this is the very first global action plan on any form of child trafficking.

This journey started for me at the beginning of 2016, with the Save the Children trip to Cambodia. It was there that I learnt about this wicked practice of trafficking children into orphanages to profit from us. Because of the shock that I felt as a result of that, I came back here really determined to fight it. I was also shocked to find out how many good-hearted Australians from schools, service clubs and church groups either support as a volunteer, or donate to, these so-called orphanages. The fact is that today there are more people in slavery than at any time in human history. In fact, 50 million people are enslaved by others. Currently, 50 million are enslaved, and eight million of those 50 million are children, mostly with parents, who have been trafficked by recruiters—who often coerce their parents—into these residential facilities which, as I said, are often referred to as 'orphanages'.

Among these eight million children, between 80 and 90 per cent have parents but have been forcibly separated for the purpose of exploitation. We know that children raised in institutions experience profound attachment disorders and developmental setbacks, and that they struggle in their relationships as they grow older. But, in the case of these eight million children, as the proverb says, the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and it's actually the good intentions of Australians and people from so many other parts of the world. The sad truth is that the huge demand to assist orphaned children that has been created by charities and voluntourists far exceeds the natural supply globally of orphans. So this resolution is a very comprehensive approach to tackling, once and for all, this very unique form of 21st-century trafficking.

These successes are, of course, built on the collaboration of very many. While this has been a passionate endeavour of mine for many years, this successful resolution has been built on the work and the cooperation of many. I firstly thank most sincerely my parliamentary colleagues who joined me on the delegation in Angola: the Speaker, the Hon. Milton Dick; Senator Deb O'Neill, from this place; Warren Entsch; and Julian Hill. It was very heartening to receive their unqualified support for this motion, and I thank them most sincerely for that.

I'd also like to thank the parliament's IPU team, so admirably led by Jane Thomson and supported by Elise Williamson. They both worked tirelessly to support me and to make sure the resolution went through.

The passing of this resolution would not have been possible without the help of the Geneva based IPU team and also that of my long-term collaborators Kate van Doore and Rebecca Nhep and of Hopeland, Global Citizen and Anne Basham, an amazing woman who runs the Interparliamentary Taskforce on Human Trafficking. I also thank Stephen Ucembe, Parosha Chandran and many others for this— (Time expired)