The issues before the gathering are two of the gravest human rights challenges facing the international community today. They affect women and girls disproportionately, leading to the denial of their rights toliberty and security, the right to freedom from torture, violence, cruelty of degrading treatment, the right to freedom of movement, the right to home and family, the right to health and education everything that makes for a life of dignity. And yet, despite the undeniable human rights dimensions of trafficking and HIV/AIDS, these problems are too often addressed exclusively as "law and order" or moral problems.

Protection and promotion of the rights of women affected by trafficking and HIV/AIDS is a critical responsibility of all States and civil society organisations. In the recent past, several important standards have been set to address these problems.

The Convention Against Transitional Organised Crime, which will come into force in September this year, and the two Protocols Supplementing it (on trafficking and migrant smuggling) are viewed as key instruments to protect the rights of trafficked women and girls. OHCHR has also issued the Recommended Principles and Guidelines on Human Rights and Human Trafficking as well as the International Guidelines on HIV/AIDS and Human Rights.

The South Asian states need to be commended for taking the lead in formulating the first regional instrument, the SAARC Convention on Preventing and Combating Trafficking in Women and Children for Prostitution, to address this serious problem.

The critical challenge before human rights practitioners today is to implement and enforce the standards that have been set such that the human rights of those affected by trafficking and HIV/AIDS remain at the centre of all initiatives, policies and programmes. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights extends respect, support and solidarity to all the women who have shown immense courage to come forward and present their testimonies at this South Asia Court.

Bertrand Ramcharan is Acting High Commissioner for Human Rights.