This tendency can be found within the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime (UNCOTC, 2000) [ 16], under the supplementary Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children ("Trafficking Protocol") and the Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air ("Smuggling Protocol") [ 15, 17].
At the same time, the fact that Hong Kong follows the lead of China on international issues further exacerbates this problem: though having ratified the UNCOTC, China is neither a signatory to the Trafficking Protocol nor the Smuggling Protocol.
The law, approved unanimously by parliament on Monday, is based on a United Nations protocol against the smuggling of migrants and allows judges and police to take action.
The protocol against the smuggling of migrants by land, sea and air, which supplements the UN convention against transnational organised crime, came into force in January 2004, and 141 countries are party to it.
The gathering is also expected to approve three protocols against the smuggling of migrants and the trafficking in people and weapons, while substantially upgrading cooperation by law enforcement agencies.
"The protocol requires the criminalisation of smuggling, it requires member states to focus on the smugglers not the migrants, it requires the protection of the human rights of the migrants, it asks for closer international cooperation," said Chatzis.
The hope is that this negative press and concentrated criticism will help to push forward the fight against animal smuggling and the adoption of more humane protocols for dealing with animals (smuggled or otherwise).
A UN protocol against trafficking of migrants defines people smuggling as acts motivated by "financial or other material benefit", said Bjørn Elmquist, a lawyer for Zorning and several other Danes charged with trafficking.
Provisions for such smuggling are being handled in a separate and optional protocol that countries would sign in addition to the treaty.
This would set out principles and protocols to help countries tackle such issues as cigarette smuggling and advertising.On the other hand, some non-governmental organisations, such as Health Action International in the Netherlands, worry about the opposite phenomenon: cosying up to industry, rather than bashing it.
Drug smuggling is also popular.
