Abstract
The aim of the chapter is to explore the occurrence of trafficking in human beings and forced prostitution as a prevailing form of exploitation in the post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina of the 1990s, with a particular focus on the role of peacekeeping forces deployed to the country in fuelling demand for the provision of commercial sexual services. The chapter will show how corruption within the local police forces allowed the trafficking of women and girls to flourish and will examine the engagement of the United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNMIBH) Special Trafficking Operations Program (STOP) in light of identification of potential trafficking victims during raids of brothels and nightclubs.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
In July 1999, the Kosovo Protection Force (KFOR) entered Kosovo, the war-torn province of Serbia, in order to protect ethnic Albanians. This United Nations (UN ) force was large by UN standards. More than 20,000 troops were on the ground within days of the passage of the authorizing UN Security Council Resolution. Within months, the global human rights community drew attention to the establishment and intensification of human sex trafficking into Kosovo (Smith and Smith 2011).
References
Council of Europe, Report Concerning the Implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings by Bosnia and Herzegovina. Second Evaluation Round, 2017. https://rm.coe.int/greta-2017-15-fgr-bih-en/1680782ac1
Department of State, United States of America, Trafficking in Persons Report, June 2019. https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/2019-Trafficking-in-Persons-Report.pdf
Deutsche Welle Interview with Kathryn Bolkovac. 2016. https://www.dw.com/en/bolkovac-un-tries-to-cover-up-peacekeeper-sex-abuse-scandal/a-19082815
Gamino, Dulce. n.d. Peacekeepers as Unpunished Perpetrators: “The Invisible Line Between Impunity and Diplomatic Immunity in Human Trafficking.” http://www.fight-human-trafficking.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/Peacekeepers-and-Human-Trafficking_Dulce-Gamino.pdf
Human Rights Watch Report on Bosnia. 2002. https://www.hrw.org/reports/2002/bosnia/Bosnia1102-06.htm
International Crisis Group (ICG). 2002. Policing the Police in Bosnia: A Further Reform Agenda. https://www.esiweb.org/pdf/bridges/bosnia/ICG_PolicingthepoliceinBiHMay02.pdf
Lalić, V. 2007. Trgovina ljudima u Bosni i Hercegovini. Defendologija centar za bezbjednosna, sociološka i kriminološka istraživanja.
Mendelson, S.E. 2005. Barracks and Brothels: Peacekeepers and Human Trafficking in the Balkans. Csis.
Muftić, L.R., and A. Pehlić. 2015. Sex Trafficking in Bosnia and Herzegovina: A Descriptive Analysis Based on Law Enforcement Officers’ Accounts. Sarajevo: Kriminalističke teme 5–6: 3–16.
Mujanović, E., E. Muratbegović, M. Budimlić, and V. Obradović. 2016. Trgovina ljudima u Bosni i Hercegovini. Sarajevo: CPRC.
Nikolic-Ristanovic, V. 2003. Sex Trafficking: The Impact of War, Militarism and globalization in Eastern Europe. Michigan Feminist Studies 17: 1.
Nisha Lilia, Diu. 2012. What the UN Doesn’t Want You to Know. The Telegraph. 06 February 2012. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/9041974/What-the-UN-Doesnt-Want-You-to-Know.html
Rizvo, S., and E. Mujanović. 2016. Trafficking in Human Beings in Bosnia and Herzegovina: State of the Art and Associated Puzzles. Kriminalističke teme 5–6: 75–93.
Robson, T. 2002. Bosnia: The United Nations, Human Trafficking and Prostitution. World Socialist Web Site. 21 August 2002. https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2002/08/bosn-a21.html
Sito-Sucic, D. 2016. Balkan Police Help Smash Ring Trafficking Women to Western Europe. Reuters. 10 November 2016. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-balkans-arrests-smuggling/balkan-police-help-smash-ring-trafficking-women-to-western-europe-idUSKBN1351I6
Smith, C.A., and H.M. Smith. 2011. Human Trafficking: The Unintended Effects of United Nations Intervention. International Political Science Review 32 (2): 125–145.
United Nations. 2004. Human Trafficking and United Nations Peacekeeping DPKO Policy Paper. https://www.un.org/womenwatch/news/documents/DPKOHumanTraffickingPolicy03-2004.pdf
Vandenberg, M. 2002a. Hopes Betrayed: Trafficking of Women and Girls to Post-conflict Bosnia and Herzegovina for Forced Prostitution.
Vandenberg, M.E. 2002b. Testimony on Trafficking of Women and Girls to Bosnia and Herzegovina for Forced Prostitution.
Wölte, S. 2004. Armed Conflict and Trafficking in Women: Desk Study. Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2020 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Pehlić, A. (2020). Occurrence of Human Trafficking in a Conflict/Peacebuilding Context: Bosnian Experience. In: Muraszkiewicz, J., Fenton, T., Watson, H. (eds) Human Trafficking in Conflict . Crime Prevention and Security Management. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-40838-1_7
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-40838-1_7
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-40837-4
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-40838-1
eBook Packages: Law and CriminologyLaw and Criminology (R0)