The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) recently released its 2024 Global Report on Trafficking in Persons, providing a detailed analysis of the current state of human trafficking worldwide. This report, mandated by the General Assembly through the 2010 United Nations Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons, offers a snapshot of trafficking patterns and flows at global, regional, and national levels.
Key Findings
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- Increase in Detected Victims: The report records a 25% increase in the number of trafficking victims detected globally in 2022 compared to 2019 pre-pandemic figures. This surge is attributed to rising poverty, conflict, and climate-induced disasters, which leave more people vulnerable to exploitation.
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- Rise in Child Trafficking: The global number of detected child victims increased by 31% in 2022 compared to 2019, with a 38% rise recorded for girls. Child trafficking is also on the rise in high-income countries, often involving girls trafficked for sexual exploitation.
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- Forced Labour and Criminality: Between 2019 and 2022, the global number of victims detected for trafficking for forced labor surged by 47%. Trafficking for forced criminality, including online scams and cyber fraud, ranks third in the number of victims detected, accounting for **8% of total victims detected in 2022.
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- Gender Disparities: Women and girls continue to account for the majority of victims detected worldwide, with 61% of victims in 2022 being female. The majority of female victims (60%) are trafficked for sexual exploitation.
Regional Focus
The report includes a special chapter on Africa, a region often neglected in trafficking studies due to data collection challenges. UNODC made extensive efforts to gather data from all regions of Africa, collaborating with various international organizations and national authorities.
Recommendations
The report emphasizes the need for stronger criminal justice responses to hold those at the top of the criminal chain accountable. It also calls for cross-border cooperation to rescue victims and ensure survivors receive the support they need. The report highlights the importance of addressing the root causes of trafficking, such as poverty, conflict, and climate change, to reduce vulnerabilities.
The 2024 UNODC Global Report on Trafficking in Persons serves as a crucial tool for policymakers, law enforcement agencies, and civil society organizations to understand and combat the evolving challenges of human trafficking.
The report can be downloaded from: Global Report on Trafficking in Persons