World Day against Trafficking in Persons

World Day against Trafficking in Persons

Basic Information about World Day against Trafficking in Persons

World Day against Trafficking in Persons is an annual event observed on 30 July.


Observed on: 30 July

Organized by: UN, UNODC, ICAT

Introduced in: 2014 (First)

Observed: Worldwide


About World Day against Trafficking in Persons

Each year millions of children, women and men from all regions of the world are trafficked, their hope stolen. An estimated 2.5 million people are trapped in modern-day slavery, targeting for the purpose of sexual slavery, forced labour and commercial sexual exploitation.

In 2013, UN General Assembly adopted the global plan of action to combat trafficking in persons, establishing a UN voluntary trust fund for victims of trafficking especially for women and children who contribute 75% of total victims.

Trafficking in persons is a grave human rights violation and a serious crime affecting societies worldwide. It victimizes millions of women, men, and children, including those most vulnerable amongst migrant communities, asylum- seekers, refugees and stateless persons, and is commonly associated with many other forms of exploitation, such as sexual exploitation, forced and bonded labour, forced marriages and all practices similar to slavery.

United Nations office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) organizes this day to raise awareness among the general public and policy makers and show solidarity for the victims of human trafficking.


About ICAT

The Inter – Agency Coordination Group against trafficking in Persons (ICAT) is a policy forum mandated by the UN General Assembly to improve coordination among UN agencies and other relevant international organizations to facilitate a holistic and comprehensive approach to preventing and combating trafficking in persons including protection and support for victims of trafficking.

It works with the following objectives:

  1. To provide a platform for exchange of information, experiences and good practices on anti-trafficking activities of the partner agencies to share with Governments, international and regional organizations, NGOs and other relevant bodies.
  2. To encourage, support and review the activities of the UN and other international organizations with the aim of ensuring a full and comprehensive implementation of all international instruments and standards of relevance for the prevention and combating of trafficking in persons and protection of and support for victims of trafficking.
  3. To work towards a comprehensive, coordinated and holistic approach to human trafficking which is gender and age-sensitive and grounded in human rights-based approach.
  4. To draw on the comparative advantage of the respective agencies, promote effective and efficient use of existing resources, using, to the extent possible, mechanisms already in place at the regional and national level.

Activities and Programs on World Day against Trafficking in Persons

30 July 2014 was the first ever United Nations World Day against Trafficking in Persons.

People joined with the #igivehope campaign and show their solidarity with victims of human trafficking.

The member organizations of the Inter-agency Coordination Group against trafficking in Persons (ICAT) addressed international community with a joint statement.

The ICAT joint statement highlights the plight of trafficked victims and identifies one key area for action: to prevent the crime by addressing the demand for goods and services produced by trafficked victims.

It emphasizes that no one alone can do the campaign alone. Root causes are spread across countries of origin, transit and destination, and they cannot be addressed in isolation from supply. For addressing the entire trafficking chain, a combined action of different stakeholders – states, international organizations, civil society, the private sector, employers and workers and their organizations, as well as individual citizens in their roles both as consumers and as members of society.

Many individuals are trained for work against trafficking. Public awareness posters highlight examples of forced labour, domestic servitude, and commercial sex trafficking are also displayed all around.


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