Legislative Enforcement in Mexico of the Protocol to Prevent, Repress and Sanction the Trafficking of People, especially Women and Children

This essay describes the efforts that need to be made to adapt legislation in Mexico and worldwide to sanction the trafficking of people and the terrible effects this crime has on the lives of individuals and society. Sexual exploitation, discrimination in the workplace, the trafficking of organs and other modern-day forms of slavery are some of the more reprehensible forms this crime takes, but it was not until the last decade that a treaty to regulate international cooperation in this area was negotiated in the United Nations. The objective of this treaty is to step up measures to combat the trafficking of people through the homogenization of the legislation and internal practices of its states party. In his article, Ernesto Céspedes explains the four main sections of the Protocol to Prevent, Repress and Sanction the Trafficking of People, and how multilateral international organizations are handling this issue. He then goes on to explain how this phenomenon affects bilateral relations between countries, particularly Mexico and the United States, and makes an in-depth analysis of the progress Mexico has made as regards the harmonization of its legislation with the precepts of international treaties. His conclusion is that a great deal remains to be done and that Mexico needs to draw up special legislation to prevent the trafficking of people and all its ramifications.