Getting the inside scoop from a United Nations Special Rapporteur

Sitting down with Najat Maalla, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.  I was curious to know about child trafficking to and how it relates to Ms. Maalla's work.  She said that trafficking is a crime which involves a commercial transaction followed by the transportation of children.  This usually leads to a child's involvement in the illegal sexual services industry.  She also said that we have to be very aware of two different causes of child trafficking.  First, children in poor countries are vulnerable to child trafficking because of desperate situations such as conflict and natural disaster.  However, trafficking is not only a problem of poorer nations, because of the criminal nature of the act.  Trafficking of children can occur anywhere because it is often a thriving business of mafias.