World Day Against Trafficking in Persons

Trafficking in persons has become a cornerstone of organized crime, posing a critical threat to global security, democracy, governance and human rights. Most traffickers operate within structured criminal networks, enabling them to exploit more victims, for extended periods and with greater violence – disproportionality affecting women and children, who frequently endure the most severe forms of abuses. Trafficking in persons and organized crime form a mutually reinforcing cycle that not only threatens global and national security, weakens governance, and undermines human rights but also erodes the rule of law, weakens democracy, and undermines sustainable development. Moreover, it perpetuates structural gender inequalities and fuels gender-based violence and discrimination. In 2016 in the Philippines, Edna Valdez, former domestic worker and current President of Banner Ti La Union, delivers trainings to prospective women migrant workers to help them identify the warning signs and risks...

  Human trafficking no longer hides in the shadows – it operates under a thin disguise, embedded in our economies and daily lives. And it’s growing more organized, more structured, and more ruthless. UNODC data shows that organized criminal networks are behind 74 per cent of detected cases. Traffickers are infiltrating legitimate industries, from agriculture to construction and hospitality, masked by legal contracts and buried in supply chains. Forced labour now accounts for 42 percent of detected trafficking victims, the highest on record. Trafficking for forced criminality is also surging, jumping from 1 per cent a decade ago to 8 per cent today. And traffickers are adapting, using technology and digital platforms to recruit, ensnare, and abuse. From fake job offers to dating apps, women and girls are being lured into online sexual exploitation, while victims are being made to commit cyber-scams and fraud as part of a billion-dollar industry. The exploitation is more systematic t...

Human trafficking is a horrific crime and a gross violation of human rights. It is one of the fastest-growing forms of organized crime – run by ruthless networks that prey on vulnerability and profit from pain. This is a brutal, highly organized enterprise built on deception, coercion and exploitation. And it is evolving rapidly. Criminal groups are operating across borders with alarming speed and sophistication. They exploit legal loopholes, infiltrate legitimate industries and supply chains, take advantage of migration flows, and use technology to recruit, control and abuse – including through online sexual exploitation or forcing victims into cyber-scams. We must respond with unity and urgency. We can do so by breaking the business model that sustains human trafficking – ending impunity, cutting off illicit profits, and strengthening law enforcement and justice systems. Perpetrators must be held accountable. We must also forge strong alliances -- with civil society, and the priv...