3 August 2023: Everything you need to know about World Day against Trafficking in Persons. How can we help stopping this? Read to know more !
Every year on 30 July, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) recognises World Day Against Trafficking in Persons in order to increase awareness of the advances in human trafficking.
What is human trafficking ?
Human trafficking is when people are tricked, forced, or taken away from their homes and forced into labor. This might involve making them work really hard without getting paid, or even forcing them into things like selling things on the street, begging, or doing bad things they don't want to do.
It's like treating people as if they're objects to be used and controlled, which is against the law.
People who do this are often trying to make money from the people they're controlling.
As per UN: 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. Men, women and children of all ages and from all backgrounds can become victims of this crime, which occurs in every region of the world. The traffickers often use violence or fraudulent employment agencies and fake promises of education and job opportunities to trick and coerce their victims.
History
World Day Against Trafficking in Persons is an annual observance held on July 30 to raise awareness about human trafficking and to promote and protect the rights of trafficking victims. It was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2013, with the resolution A/RES/68/192.
The day was chosen to commemorate the adoption of the United Nations Protocol to prevent, suppress and punish Trafficking in Persons, especially trafficking of Women and Children. This supplemented the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, which was adopted on November 15, 2000.
The first World Day Against Trafficking in Persons was observed in 2014. Since then, it has been used to raise awareness about the issue of human trafficking and to call for action to prevent and combat it.
The theme for World Day Against Trafficking in Persons 2023 is "Reach every victim of trafficking, leave no one behind." This theme highlights the need to ensure that all victims of trafficking are identified and protected, regardless of their location, gender, age, or circumstances.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is the lead agency for coordinating international efforts to combat human trafficking. The UNODC provides technical assistance to governments and other stakeholders to help them prevent and combat human trafficking, and to protect victims.
World Day Against Trafficking in Persons is an important opportunity to raise awareness about this serious crime and to call for action to end it. By working together, we can help to reach every victim of trafficking and to leave no one behind.
Here are some additional facts about World Day Against Trafficking in Persons:
The estimated number of victims of human trafficking worldwide is 25 million.
Women and girls make up the majority of victims of human trafficking, accounting for 71% of all victims.
The most common forms of human trafficking are sexual exploitation, forced labor, and forced marriage.
Human trafficking is a crime that violates the fundamental human rights of victims.
Significance
The significance of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons is twofold.
First, it is an opportunity to raise awareness of the crime of human trafficking and its devastating effects on victims. Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery, and it is estimated that over 40 million people are victims of human trafficking worldwide.
Second, World Day Against Trafficking in Persons is an opportunity to promote and protect the rights of victims. Governments, organizations, and individuals can use the day to call for stronger laws and policies to combat human trafficking, and to provide support and assistance to victims.
There are many ways to get involved in World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. You can learn more about the crime of human trafficking, share information on social media, or volunteer your time to an organization that is working to combat human trafficking. You can also contact your elected officials and urge them to support stronger laws and policies to combat human trafficking.
Here are some resources that you can use to learn more about World Day Against Trafficking in Persons and how you can get involved:
- United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime: https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/
- International Labour Organization: https://www.ilo.org/global/topics/forced-labour/lang--en/index.htm
- United States Department of State: https://www.state.gov/what-is-trafficking-in-persons/
- National Human Trafficking Hotline: https://humantraffickinghotline.org/
Theme
The theme of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons 2023 is "Reach every victim of trafficking, leave no one behind". This theme was chosen in response to disturbing developments and trends identified by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), such as increasing ineffectiveness and impunity. The theme also calls on governments, law enforcement, public services, and civil society to evaluate and increase their efforts to strengthen prevention, identify and support victims, and end impunity.
The message of the 2023 World Day Against Trafficking in Persons is that no one should be left behind in the fight against this crime. All victims of trafficking, regardless of their background, should be able to access the support and services they need to rebuild their lives.
