Guiding Principles


The Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR), of which PACT-Ottawa is a member, has identified the following principles to guide Canada's responses to trafficking:

  • Non-punitive:  Measures must not penalize trafficked persons.
  • Human Rights:  Measures must be guided by and be respectful of the human rights of trafficked persons.
  • Economic Rights:  Measures must be guided by and be respectful of the economic rights of trafficked persons.
  • Gender and Race Analysis:  A gender and race analysis should be brought to any consideration of trafficking issues.
  • Inclusive of Trafficked Persons:  Discussions about trafficked persons should include trafficked persons themselves.

Code of Ethics

This Code of Ethics reflects the values and aspirations of PACT-Ottawa in our work as an advocacy group for trafficked persons. The purpose of this Code of Ethics is to articulate and to ensure PACT-Ottawa’s commitment to its guiding mission. This Code of Ethics aims also to foster respectful conduct toward persons with lived experience of human trafficking, as well as toward PACT-Ottawa’s members, volunteers, community partners and the wider public. This code of ethics implicates all persons associated with PACT-Ottawa, including members, volunteers, staff, interns and guests.

The code of ethics can be downloaded here.

Organizational Stance on the 
Relationship between Human Trafficking & Sex Work


PACT-Ottawa recognizes that vulnerable people are trafficked in multiple ways, including forced labour, child exploitation, organ harvesting and coerced sex work. Cognizant of the links between sex work and human trafficking, PACT-Ottawa resists conflating these issues. PACT-Ottawa recognizes the complex and controversial nature of sex work. That is, sex work needs to be understood within diverse and often conflicting systems of values, in which concerns for autonomy, safety and free choice may diverge with concerns regarding the objectification, commodification and sexual access to marginalized members of society. Furthermore, PACT-Ottawa recognizes that sex work is frequently embedded in structural oppressions, specifically poverty, racism, predatory capitalism, misogyny and gender bias. Part of PACT-Ottawa's mission is to network with other groups, many of which work to prevent trafficking of persons by addressing these root causes of exploitation. As an anti-trafficking NGO, the vision of PACT-Ottawa is to recognize the dignity and promote the well-being of all trafficked persons, some of whom may be exploited in coerced sex work.