The purposes of this Protocol are:

( a ) To prevent and combat trafficking in persons, paying particular attention to women and children;

( b ) To protect and assist the victims of such trafficking, with full respect for their human rights; and

( c ) To promote cooperation among States Parties in order to meet those objectives.

Use of terms

For the purposes of this Protocol:

( a ) "Trafficking in persons" shall mean the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs;

( b ) The consent of a victim of trafficking in persons to the intended exploitation set forth in subparagraph ( a ) of this article shall be irrelevant where any of the means set forth in subparagraph ( a ) have been used;

( c ) The recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of a child for the purpose of exploitation shall be considered "trafficking in persons" even if this does not involve any of the means set forth in subparagraph ( a ) of this article;

( d ) "Child" shall mean any person under eighteen years of age.

Scope of application

This Protocol shall apply, except as otherwise stated herein, to the prevention, investigation and prosecution of the offences established in accordance with article 5 of this Protocol, where those offences are transnational in nature and involve an organized criminal group, as well as to the protection of victims of such offences.

Criminalization

1. Each State Party shall adopt such legislative and other measures as may be necessary to establish as criminal offences the conduct set forth in article 3 of this Protocol, when committed intentionally.

2. Each State Party shall also adopt such legislative and other measures as may be necessary to establish as criminal offences:

( a ) Subject to the basic concepts of its legal system, attempting to commit an offence established in accordance with paragraph 1 of this article;

( b ) Participating as an accomplice in an offence established in accordance with paragraph 1 of this article; and

( c ) Organizing or directing other persons to commit an offence established in accordance with paragraph 1 of this article.