World Day Against Trafficking in Persons 2024: Leave No Child Behind in the Fight Against Human Trafficking

July 30 is the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons.

"Human trafficking" means the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability, and of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person for the purpose of exploitation. The concept of human trafficking was defined in the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime signed on 12 December 2000 in Palermo (IOM, 2013).

Click here to read more about the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime.

There are various of forms of human trafficking. Forced labour (38.8%) and sexual exploitation (38.7%) take the majority of human trafficking crimes, followed by criminal activity (10.2%), forced marriages (0.9%), begging (0.7%), baby selling (0.3%), and organ removal (0.2%) (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime). Human trafficking severely violates human rights affecting men, women, and children all over the world.

Migrant workers have higher chance becoming victims of trafficking in persons. Thus, counter-trafficking is one of the core missions of International Organization for Migration. Including migrants who have been subject to trafficking in persons, IOM also supports people at risk of trafficking and other forms of violence, exploitation and abuse. IOM also collaborates closely with partner organizations including governments, the United Nations, international and non-governmental organizations, and the private sectors.

Click here to read more on IOM's counter-trafficking activities.

IOM Mongolia also has been putting many efforts on combatting the challenges of human trafficking crimes in Mongolia or that are subject to Mongolian nationals. In 2023, IOM Mongolia organized five capacity building programs for law enforcement, service providers and private sector representations on prevention, identification, provision of assistance to victims of trafficking. The trainings were under the framework of the project "Strengthening Mongolia's Efforts to Prevent and Respond to Human Trafficking". In addition, a workshop on "C4D Tool and KAP Result Introduction Workshop for Mongolian Media Content Developers" was organized by IOM Mongolia in cooperation with Mongolian Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs in 2023. In the first half of 2024, IOM Mongolia conducted the three-session trainings on Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) for Mongolian law enforcement officials.

For more information on IOM Mongolia's counter-trafficking activities, please refer to the 2023 Annual Report or relevant articles: training at Zamiin-Uud; and OSINT training.

This year's theme for World Day Against Trafficking in Persons (WDATIP) is "Leave No Child Behind in the Fight Against Human Trafficking". According to IOM's joint research with Harvard University, child trafficking is a multifaced and complex phenomenon that continues to spread and evolve within and across borders. Commemorating WDATIP 2024, IOM is trying to deliver the following key messages to everyone:

• No age range, no gender, and no nationality is immune to child trafficking; it is a truly global phenomenon;
• Actions should be informed by evidence, and address context-specific drivers and vulnerabilities to trafficking;
• Prevent harm caused by child trafficking: increase resilience, reduce vulnerability, raise awareness;
• Every trafficked child deserves protection: uphold the rights and meet the protection needs of all VOTs, focusing on individual needs of each child;
• Working together to ensure no child is left behind: strengthening partnership and coordination is essential for an effective response to human trafficking.

For more information, please visit UNODC's global campaign website or IOM's trafficking data dashboard.

Multifaceted efforts must be made to eradicate child trafficking. Public sectors have to establish or bolster relevant laws and regulations to reinforce child protection and private sectors must raise their awareness and advocate on the issue while providing adequate support in the community.

IOM Mongolia will always fully support fighting this dire situation of child trafficking.

#EndHumanTrafficking #ХүнХудалдаалахГэмтХэрэгтэйТэмцэхэдНэгчХүүхдийгБүүОрхигдуул