November 13, 2019
According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), some 72 per cent of detected victims are women and girls, and the percentage of child victims has more than doubled from 2004 to 2016.
“Most detected victims are trafficked for sexual exploitation; victims are also trafficked for forced labour, recruitment as child soldiers and other forms of exploitation and abuse”, Mr. Guterres said in his message on the Day, marked annually on 30 July.
Many of those falling prey to traffickers are migrants, including refugees and asylum seekers who have left their country of origin for various reasons.
Pointing to armed conflict, displacement, climate change, natural disasters and poverty as factors that “exacerbate the vulnerabilities and desperation that enable trafficking to flourish”, the UN chief emphasized that “migrants are being targeted”.
“Thousands of people have died at sea, in deserts and in detention centres, at the hands of traffickers and migrant smugglers plying their monstrous, merciless trades”, he continued.
Mr. Guterres also spotlighted the “everyday indifference to abuse and exploitation around us”, mentioning that “from construction to food production to consumer goods, countless businesses and enterprises benefit from the misery”.
Speaking on the need to step up protection for the most vulnerable, Mr. Guterres added that most countries have the necessary laws in place, but “more needs to be done to bring transnational trafficking networks to justice and, most of all, to ensure that victims are identified and can access the protection and services they need”.
“On this World Day against Trafficking in Persons, let us reaffirm our commitment to stop criminals from ruthlessly exploiting people for profit and to help victims rebuild their lives”, concluded the Secretary-General.
To read the full story on UN News: Click Here
October 18, 2019
The European Union and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa are launching a three-year project aimed at supporting Egypt, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia in dismantling migrant smuggling and human trafficking criminal networks operating in North Africa, the duo announced in a press statement.
The EU has set a budget of €15m ($16.69m) for the project, which will be implemented by the UNODC Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa under the framework of the North Africa Window of the European Union Emergency Trust Fund for Africa.
According to the UNODC, trafficking in persons is the acquisition of people by improper means such as force, fraud or deception, intending to exploit them. Smuggling of migrants involves the procurement for financial or other material benefits of illegal entry of a person into a state of which that person is not a national or resident.
The project aims at supporting member states in dismantling organized criminal networks involved in migrant smuggling and human trafficking.
To read the full story on Daily News Egypt: Click Here
May 9, 2019
17 April 2019, Islamabad – The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), with the support of the United States Department of State Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (USJ/TIP), has organized its second Public-Private Partnership Conference on Trafficking in Persons. The conference has been arranged in collaboration with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) of Pakistan.
The UNODC Pakistan Office has been assisting the Government of Pakistan for over 35 years with the objective of assistance in overcoming common challenges and in meeting international obligations. The aim of the conference is to enhance collaboration among key government stakeholders and the private sector which includes civil society, non-governmental organizations, and private corporations.
It is a matter of fact that women and children in Pakistan are trafficked for sexual exploitation, sometimes in the form of forced marriages. To help minimize trafficking in persons, UNODC and FIA have been working in close collaboration for many years. As partners both UNODC and FIA realize it is important to take all stakeholders, from both public and private sectors, onboard to fight trafficking in persons.
For this purpose, the conference was organized in Islamabad; and numerous senior government officials, law enforcement officers, members of civil society, private sector organizations, non-governmental organizations, the media, and other UN agencies were invited to participate: to recognize and collaborate with the struggle to combat trafficking in persons.
Mr. Ahmed Mukkarram, Additional Director General Immigration FIA, in his opening remarks appreciated the efforts of UNODC and the assistance provided by the US Department of State. He stated, ‘It is with these efforts that the law against Trafficking in Persons has been enacted in Pakistan.’ He added that ‘such engagement helps improve communication and raise awareness of relevant stakeholders on the issue. It helps recognize the victims and enhances delivery of services for the protection of victims of trafficking in persons and broadens access to available protection services.’
To read the full story on UNDOC: Click Here
