UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday asked for more efforts to stop human trafficking in conflict situations.
"Criminals and terrorists are capitalizing on, and perpetuating, the disorder and mayhem of conflict. To fund their crimes, they prey on the vulnerable," Guterres told a UN Security Council open debate on human trafficking in conflict situations.
He added "their brutality knows no bounds: sexual exploitation, forced labor, the removal of bodily organs and slavery are the tools of their trade."
Committed in the shadows, these actions are serious abuses of human rights, and may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, he noted.
He highlighted recent press reports of African migrants in Libya being sold as slaves.
"It is our collective responsibility to stop these crimes. We must act urgently to protect the human rights and dignity of migrant populations," said Guterres.
A CNN report that included video footage of a slave auction last month outside the Libyan capital of Tripoli, where about a dozen migrants were sold as slaves in a matter of minutes, triggered international outcry.
