Wellington, 14 July 2009. – A new music video by alternative rock band The Killers is helping to highlight the dangers of human trafficking in the Asia-Pacific region.

The Killers have teamed up with the UN Children's Fund and MTV on the video, for the band's track “Goodnight, Travel Well” from the album Day & Age, which premieres globally on MTV and on-line this week.

Worldwide, 2.5m people are victims of trafficking at any one time, with 1.2m of them children. The Asia-Pacific region represents the majority of trafficking cases.

UNICEF NZ Ambassador and MTV host Jay Reeve says that the video is an innovative and creative way to inform young people about trafficking.

“Young people are often the targets of trafficking. MTV is in almost every country where trafficking takes place so hopefully this video will reach those that are in and around the danger and stop people turning a blind eye.

“Trafficking is a crime that forces women and children into situations that exploit and degrade them. It violates their basic rights of freedom, equality and dignity.

"The statistics are mind blowing! More than 1.2m children are being trafficked each year and nearly 80 per cent of all trafficking is for sexual exploitation, with girls being the most at risk.

“Trafficking is a digestible term for modern-day slavery, which is a practice that needs to be stamped out.”

Mr Reeve says that The Killers’ video contains a powerful and dramatic message that will be broadcast not only in New Zealand, but across all of MTV’s networks in more than 160 countries, with an audience potential of more than 500m households.

“The music video provides insight into the realities of trafficking, in particular the trafficking of children and adolescents into forced prostitution, and provides a link to information about how people can help to end exploitation and trafficking.”

UNICEF NZ International Advocacy Manager, Sarah Morris, says that human trafficking involves the recruitment, transportation, and receipt of a person for sexual or economic exploitation by force, fraud, coercion, or deception in order to make a profit.

“There is almost no country in the world now that isn't affected by trafficking in some way.

“Trafficking is the second-largest illegal trade after drugs, with criminal traffickers earning more than NZ$15 billion every year through the buying and selling of human beings.

“We see The Killers’ music video and our partnership with MTV as a powerful way to reach out and raise awareness among young people – some of whom may be victims of trafficking – across borders and across language barriers.”

The video represents the second in a series of music video collaborations to highlight the dangers and impact of human trafficking that launched last year with an award-winning film produced by MTV EXIT for the Radiohead single All I Need.

View the full music video (external link to MTV EXIT website)
View a short news video about trafficking 
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