Trafficking in Persons for sexual exploitation, especially women and girls, through addressing demand in South-Eastern Europe

Your excellencies and dear colleagues,  

Thank you for inviting me to speak at the opening of this event. I would like to thank our hosts - the Republic of Croatia, the Governments of France and Sweden for their support and for working together with UNODC to make this event possible.  

Last year, we marked the anniversary of the UN Trafficking in Persons Protocol. This was an opportunity to review achievements over the past two decades and to take stock of the gaps that remain.   

The Protocol, when implemented effectively, is a powerful tool. It gives the first internationally recognized and legally binding definition of human trafficking as a crime. And it is the first international instrument with provisions for the protection of victims.  

In just 20 years, 178 countries have ratified the Protocol, and it is thus becoming a truly universal treaty. But gaps persist in our responses:  

• Many victims remain undetected. 
• Investigations and prosecutions of human traffickers remain low, compared with other crimes.  
• In many parts of the world, traffickers rarely go to prison or simply face a fine for lower crimes.  
• Support, protection and rehabilitation of victims is limited in many countries.  
• And international cooperation remains poor. 

The UNODC Global Report on Trafficking in Persons, of 2020 for South East Europe shows that human trafficking is widespread. More than 70 per cent of all victims in the region are women and girls. The vast majority is trafficked for sexual exploitation.

About one third of the detected victims were children, 19 percent were girls and 15 percent were boys. The number of children among detected trafficking victims has tripled in the past 15 years, with the share of boys increasing as much as five times. Girls are mainly trafficked for sexual exploitation, boys for forced labour. 

Globally most of the victims detected are trafficked for sexual exploitation, followed by forced labour and other forms of trafficking including for forced criminal activities, forced marriage and organ removal.

On a positive note, the number of convictions recorded in the region is above the global average. This is an encouraging sign that countries in Southeast Europe are moving in the right direction.  

Trafficking in persons is an extremely lucrative crime. Bridging the gap between criminal and financial investigations is essential. Tackling financial flows is a strong deterrent.  

Traffickers are increasingly using the internet to recruit, deceive and exploit their victims. Through the internet, traffickers easily gain access to a large number of customers, particularly sex buyers.  One court case showed that a single trafficker, working alone, managed to sexually exploit and connect one victim with over 100 sex buyers over a period of 60 days using online advertisement.  There are many cases of traffickers who coerced victims into establishing rapport with users in chat rooms monitored by traffickers. And there is ample evidence of the growth of child sexual abuse material online of which some is related to trafficking in persons. 

Survivors of trafficking can play an important role as influencers of change. UNODC Goodwill Ambassador for the Dignity of Survivors of Human Trafficking and Nobel Peace Prize co-winner, Nadia Murad, advocates globally for survivors of sexual violence and for the rebuilding of communities in crisis.

UN analysis has shown that traffickers use victims to escape justice and enjoy impunity. Violence is used to control these victims especially when they are women or girls. Gender affects every part of the trafficking cycle and chain. From how vulnerabilities are shaped and exploited, to how justice responds and how the needs of victims are addressed.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made the situation worse. Despite lockdowns and restrictions in movement, traffickers continue to flourish. Violence and online exploitation is increasing. We are concerned about the effect that an economic downturn may have on trafficking in persons. Data show that in periods of crisis – including economic crisis – human trafficking increases.  

The UN system remains a committed partner to the countries in the region to combat trafficking. Let me just mentioned some examples.

UNODC has helped countries to set up informal and operational networks of criminal justice practitioners and anti-trafficking authorities. UNODC works with leading technology companies to bring the public and private sectors closer together. IOM strengthens capacities of institutions to identify victims of trafficking in human beings, and to prevent,  prosecute and protect victims of trafficking in the process of their recovery. I hope that, specifically here in Montenegro, Government will accept the request by the UN Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual abuse of children to visit the country this year, and that she, like the Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons who was here in 2019, will also be able to support the country in its  important effort to prevent and address trafficking.

We have the means to successfully combat human trafficking – and hopefully to one day eradicate it if we join efforts.

Thank you.