The ASEAN Convention against Trafficking in Persons: A Preliminary Assessment

This article offers a preliminary assessment of the ASEAN Convention against Trafficking in Persons’ (ACTIP) and the road leading to ACTIP’s adoption. It argues that ACTIP’s adoption and entry into force represent a growing trend in ASEAN treaty practice, especially on issues of international and regional concern, in which hard and soft obligations are combined to appeal to states’ ratification and thus the possible timely entry into force of certain binding instruments. However, more needs to be done to increase the effectiveness of ACTIP, including the prescription of a stronger compliance mechanism. To investigate whether ACTIP represents a growing trend in ASEAN treaty practice, and to study further measures to increase ACTIP’s effectiveness, the article endeavours to assess the strength of ACTIP’s provisions, effective implementation and compliance. It shall do this by comparing ACTIP to other relevant international and regional anti-TIP conventions.