New York: Europe and the Arabs
The Secretary-General of the United Nations called on governments, civil society and the private sector, including technology companies, to intensify efforts and cooperation to protect children from the crime of human trafficking and ensure that no trafficker escapes punishment. According to the United Nations daily news bulletin, which added, "This came in a message on the occasion of the World Day against Trafficking in Persons, which the United Nations celebrates annually on July 30, and this year comes under the slogan: "Leave no child behind in the fight against human trafficking." On this occasion, the Secretary-General called for renewing our commitment to a future in which every child enjoys safety and freedom.
A third of human trafficking victims
Antonio Guterres said that human trafficking is a horrific crime that targets the most vulnerable groups in our societies, "On this World Day against Trafficking in Persons, we focus our attention on the most vulnerable group among us: children.
Children account for one-third of all victims of human trafficking, suffering horrific abuses – whether through forced labour, sale into marriage, recruitment into combat or coercion into criminal activity. “Growing inequalities and globalization have fueled complex trafficking networks that challenge traditional legal frameworks, giving rise to new forms of slavery,” he said.
Online platforms
Online platforms increase children’s vulnerability to sexual exploitation and gender-based violence and provide opportunities for traffickers to exploit victims across borders, the Secretary-General said.
He warned that the physical and psychological scars of these crimes persist well into adulthood, robbing them of their innocence, their future and their fundamental rights. The Secretary-General therefore said we must strengthen protection measures – including child-sensitive justice mechanisms, awareness-raising efforts, support for unaccompanied children on the move, care for survivors and addressing the root causes of exploitation by assisting vulnerable families.