Break the silence: Awareness and Action on World Day Against Trafficking in Persons
Each year on 30 July, we observe World Day Against Trafficking in Persons as preventing and combating trafficking must be a priority for the international community.
Human trafficking destroys humanity. It is one of the most egregious violations of human rights. This serious and violent crime, often perpetrated within the framework of organised crime, affects people of all ages and nationalities. However, the most vulnerable populations are women, children, adolescents, migrants, LGBTIQ+ individuals, people of African descent and Indigenous peoples.
It is difficult to determine the true extent and scope of this crime given its nature, but it is estimated that 50 million people worldwide are at risk of various forms of exploitation. As we can see, it is one of the fastest growing crimes, comparable to drug and arms trafficking. It constitutes a highly lucrative activity, generating an estimated annual profit of $150 billion.
The 2000 UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the UN Convention against Transnational Organised Crime, provides the internationally agreed definition of human trafficking. Human trafficking is the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of people through force, fraud, or deception, with the aim of exploiting them for profit.
From what has been presented so far, at least two questions arise to address this complex issue: what are the current trends of this crime and how can we combat it?
Regarding the first question, according to the latest global report on trafficking in persons report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 30% fewer victims were identified in the region between 2019 and 2020. Does this mean there were fewer trafficking victims? Initially, no. It demonstrates that the pandemic and other crises have led to a more clandestine, invisible, and harder-to-detect form of trafficking.
Trafficking takes many forms (forced labour, sexual exploitation, begging, armed conflicts, child marriage, illegal adoption) and can occur in various scenarios, perpetrated by family members or strangers, and involve physical confinement or digital coercion. Until the pandemic, sexual exploitation was the primary form of trafficking, but today there are other forms. For example, the online exploitation and abuse of young children have increased significantly as they are exposed to more risks due to the proliferation of digital platforms to which they connect without adequate protections.
In this context, with one in three trafficking victims being a child—mostly girls—the 2024 campaign for the tenth World Day Against Trafficking in Persons focuses on raising awareness about the causes and vulnerabilities associated with child trafficking.
Other findings from the cited global report indicate that war and conflict are fertile ground for traffickers. Similarly, climate change multiplies the risks of trafficking. This last aspect is a novel introduction by the report, as it highlights for the first time that climate change acts as a “multiplier of stress”, increasing people’s vulnerability to trafficking.
Regarding the second question, the international community recognises that combating trafficking requires a differential, multisectoral and innovative approach involving the efforts of states, international organisations, civil society organisations and the private sector.
In response to this global phenomenon, preventing and combating trafficking requires close cross-border cooperation, including the sharing of information and best practices, as well as an open and continuous dialogue between state authorities. States must strengthen their national and regional responses to be able to prevent the crime, investigate and prosecute traffickers and, above all, to place the victim at the centre, protect and provide adequate care.
In this regard, last April, the European Parliament approved the expansion of measures to combat human trafficking and improve support for its victims. In addition to labour and sexual exploitation crimes, the legislation now includes forced marriage, illegal adoption, and surrogate motherhood for reproductive exploitation as crimes at EU level, along with several improvements for prevention and victim protection. Eugenia Rodriguez Palop, Member of the European Parliament said: ‘Twelve years after the adoption of the Directive, the European Parliament has had to review EU rules, as trafficking has become more sophisticated and the resources at our disposal remain rudimentary. We must be able to quickly locate, protect and support victims. Trafficking is torture; those responsible must pay for what they have done, and victims must receive reparation for their suffering.’
Finally, it should be noted that what is not measured cannot be improved. Without accurate data it is not possible to design public policies correctly or measure their impacts. Therefore, it is emphasised that states need to establish and strengthen their systems of information, knowledge, and case registration related to trafficking to enable internal and international cooperation.”
In conclusion, to break the silence about the magnitude of this crime and the need for action, it remains to be emphasised that while international cooperation, education, and awareness are essential to prevent this crime, only through a collective commitment can we aspire to a future free from trafficking where the rights of safety, freedom and dignity of all people are respected.
Mariana Larrosa Fernández, FIBGAR collaborator.
30 July 2024.
