The recent UN High-Level Meeting on the Global Plan to Combat Human Trafficking delivered a powerful message: the cost of inaction is unbearable. With children representing one in five victims and perpetrators profiting at least $233 billion annually, the need for comprehensive global action is urgent.
Survivor voices took center stage throughout the sessions. Both survivors and global leaders emphasized that survivors must be included at every level of policy and program development, from establishing survivor councils to embedding their experiences in training programs to enacting legislation. Their insights are essential to creating effective solutions.
Key priorities emerged across the discussions. Member States must strengthen child protection systems, particularly against digital exploitation. The rise of forced criminality demands better training for law enforcement to identify coercion and avoid further victimizing survivors through justice system interactions. Technology companies must take responsibility to address online exploitation, while governments need stronger legislation on digital forensics and illicit financial flows.
Guatemala’s representative highlighted successful decentralization strategies, including mobile units and materials in indigenous languages. The Netherlands introduced an innovative human trafficking field lab for experimental approaches.
The message was clear: governments must act with the boldness that survivors demonstrate daily. Cross-sectoral partnerships, from civil society to tech companies, are critical to combating this evolving crime.
As emphasized by survivors, we must keep asking ourselves: Are we doing enough? Are we acting with the urgency this crisis deserves? Are we willing to be bold?
Auteur: Sarah Rudolph, CJ
