Remarks on the UNODC launch of the 2022 Global Report on Trafficking in Persons
Nick Hill
Deputy Permanent Representative
New-York, New-York
March 21, 2023
AS DELIVERED
Thanks very much. I would like to congratulate UNODC and Executive Director Ghada Waly on the release of their Global Report on Trafficking in Persons.
UNODC is a key partner of the US State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons. We are currently committing more than $19 million to support a variety of his initiatives in approximately 41 countries.
As we all know, UNODC is the guardian of the United Nations Protocol – also known as Palermo – to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, with some 180 States parties.
The Protocol provides an important framework for cooperation between all States Parties, including the United States.
UNODC’s Trafficking in Persons Report is helping us do just that – giving the global community a better understanding of current patterns and trends in human trafficking, thereby enabling us as Member States to deepen our cooperation to combat this crime.
To create this report, governments collect data to identify gaps in our approaches, identify trends and measure progress. UNODC’s global report goes a step further, bringing together this national data to highlight critical issues and reveal regional and global trends – including the impact of conflict on human trafficking.
I would be remiss here if I did not, like my Austrian and Romanian colleagues, specifically mention one of those conflicts – Russia’s illegal, unprovoked and premeditated war against Ukraine.
Russia’s actions have left transnational organized crime with tremendous opportunities to thrive.
We are already seeing an increase in trafficking indicators affecting refugees from Ukraine and internally displaced persons within Ukraine. This year’s UNODC report finds that the current conflict could claim an unprecedented toll if mitigation measures are not taken.
We welcome UNODC’s recommendations for stronger national frameworks to identify and protect victims of trafficking, particularly in exceptional circumstances, as well as for enhanced training, victim support and capacity building.
Amidst the report’s sobering findings shimmered continued courage and resilience. We continue to celebrate the adaptability and commitment of survivors and all those fighting human trafficking, especially in the wake of the pandemic and in the face of a rapidly changing world.
Systemic solutions rely on broad, cross-border partnerships between governments with the support of international and regional organizations. We encourage all States parties to continue to prioritize and enhance efforts to combat trafficking in human beings. The United States has pledged to support these efforts and bring traffickers to justice.
Thanks very much.
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