Human Rights Framework and Victim Protection: A RightsBased Approach to Protecting Victims of Human Trafficking, Violence, Discrimination, and Harassment

Abstract

Human trafficking, violence, discrimination, and harassment have become growing global concerns due to their profound impact on the enjoyment and protection of fundamental human rights. These forms of victimization not only threaten the safety and well-being of individuals but also undermine human dignity, equality, freedom, and access to justice. Although many states have developed legal and institutional mechanisms for victim protection, conventional approaches that primarily rely on welfare-based assistance and criminal justice responses often fail to provide comprehensive protection and effective recovery for victims. Consequently, there is an increasing need for a human rights-based approach that recognizes victims as rights-holders entitled to legal protection, participation, and remedies. This study aims to analyze victim protection through a human rights-based framework and to examine international human rights standards governing victim protection and access to justice. The research employs normative legal research using a statutory approach, a conceptual approach, and an international human rights approach. Relevant international legal instruments, scholarly literature, and human rights principles are analyzed to identify the normative foundations of victim protection. The findings demonstrate that victims of human trafficking, violence, discrimination, and harassment are legal subjects entitled to protection, participation, recovery, and effective remedies. States bear the obligation to respect, protect, and fulfil victims’ rights through responsive legal frameworks, public policies, and institutional mechanisms. Furthermore, access to justice and effective remedies constitute essential components of a human rights-based victim protection system. This study proposes a Six-Pillar Human Rights-Based Victim Protection Framework that integrates prevention, protection, participation, access to justice, remedies and reparation, and accountability as a comprehensive and sustainable model for victim protection. Human Rights Framework and Victim … (Fifi Lonardy) 298 LICS 2026 Topic: Strengthening Legal Frameworks for Combating Human Trafficking and Enhancing Protection of Women and Children