Trafficking inpersons: a global issue

What do we know about the global situation?
• The issue– Where does trafficking occur? Who is that traffics people?
Who is victimised?

• The response– Which countries are acting against trafficking? What actions
are governments taking? What are the key characteristics
identified by governments of victims and offenders?

• The gaps
• What do governments still need to do?

1. The act ofhuman trafficking• Thousands, if not millions of people are trafficked eachyear.
• UNODC Global Patterns report documents thetrafficking of human beings from 127 countries to beexploited in 137 countries.

Origin countries of trafficking in persons

Origin countries of trafficking in persons

Transit countries of trafficking in persons

Transit countries of trafficking in persons

Destination countries of trafficking in persons

Destination countries of trafficking in persons

Profile of trafficking victims

Boys
3%

Women
54%

Girls
17%

Children
24%

Men2%

Profile of the victims, regional

Type of exploitation, Regional

2. The responseto trafficking inpersons

THE REPORT – Countries Covered
Data collection

155 countries and territories

THE REPORT – Number of countries per
topic
200
180
160
14012010080

155141120

60

134
114

40

71

200
Legislation on
TiP

Data oninvestigations

Data onprosecutions

Data onconvictions

Source: UNODC/UN.GIFT

Data on identified
victims of TiP

Data onsheltered victimsof TiP

KEY FINDINGS:
1. The impact of the UN TIP Protocol: the number ofcountries implementing laws has doubled.
2. Convictions are increasing. But impunity is immense.
3. Sexual exploitation is the most commonly-identified
form of human trafficking.
4. Most offenders are citizens of the country where
they were arrested.

Finding 1: The “push” of the UN TIP Protocol
Percentage of countries that have introduced a specific offence on trafficking in persons into their legislation (N:155)
100%
20%

90%
28%
80%
70%

65%

60%
50%
80%

40%
72%
30%
20%

35%

10%

Doubling ofcountries
with TIP
legislation

0%
2003

2006

Specific offence of trafficking in persons

Nov-08
No specific offence

Source: UNODC/UN.GIFT

Finding 1: The “push” of the UN TIP Protocol
OFFENCE IN FORCE:
Percentage of countries having atrafficking in persons offence in force inNovember 2008 (N:155)

25% of the countries* havemodified their TIP provisions
in the last 2 years

25%

54%
21%

No Offence in November 2008
Offence established before 2006 and not modified
Offence established or amended during the period Jan 06 - Nov 08

155 countries and territories covered by this report

Source: UNODC/UN.GIFT

Finding 1: The “push” of the UN Protocol
NATIONAL ACTION PLANS: % of countries that adopted a national action
plan on trafficking in persons offence before and after 2003 (N:155)
100%
90%
80%
47%
70%60%
50%

95%

40%
30%
53%
20%
10%

5%0%
2003
Action Plan w as adopted

2008
No Action Plan in place

Source: UNODC/UN.GIFT

Finding 2: Convictions increasing but impunity massive• Globally, the number of convictions is increasing.
• But not proportionally to the growing awareness (andprobably size) of the problem.
• Most convictions occur in a few countries.
• To date, 2 out of 5 countries have never recorded asingle conviction.
• Thus a large area of impunity remains.

Finding 2: Convictions increasing but impunity massive
IMPUNITY
Distribution of all countries according to the number of convictions recorded forthe specific offence of trafficking in persons during the reporting period (N:155)
No convictions
and offence inforce
19%

One to ten
convictions peryear
17%

No convictions
because nooffence
22%
At least 10
convictions peryear
29%
Data notavailable
14%

Source: UNODC/UN.GIFT

Finding 2: Convictions increasing but impunity massive
VICTIMS DETECTED
Total number of victims identified by Stateauthorities in 71 selected countries
16,00014,000
Number of victims officially identified

TREND:
The capacity todetect victims
has increased(+27% victims
detectedglobally)

12,00010,0008,000
6,000

14,90911,706

12,122

2003

2004

13,127

4,000
2,000
02005

2006

Source: UNODC/UN.GIFT

Finding 3: Sexual exploitation deemed most common
Profile of victims identified by State authorities(Countries reporting: 2003=44, 2004=56, 2005=76, 2006=61)
100%
90%

3%

3%

5%

16%

13%

14%

80%
11%

9%

12%

10%
16%

70%

13%

The profile ofthe victims:
gender

60%
50%
40%
71%

74%

2003

2004

30%

66%

67%

2005

2006

20%
10%
0%

WomenGirlsMenBoys

Source: UNODC/UN.GIFTFinding 3: Sexual exploitation deemed most commonDistribution of victims identified by Stateauthorities
according to the form of exploitation(N:52 in 2006)

SexualExploitation
79%

Forced Labour
18%

Other forms
3%

Source: UNODC/UN.GIFT

TRENDS
1. Sexual exploitation was themost commonly identified
form of human trafficking.
2. TIP for forced labour(generally men/boys) islikely under-detected.
3. Reasons: (a) FL laws more
recent (b) police
perspective (c) less visible
than, e.g., prostitution.

Finding 4: Most offenders = citizens where arrested

Offender profile: Nationality• Generally offenders were citizens of thecountries where they were arrested.
• This suggests that local criminal networks
acquire the victims and sell them to criminal
networks based in destination countries.
(Report p 10)

Finding 4: Traffickers usually of same nationality
Offender profile:
Nationality••

Generally offenders arenationals of the countries
where the trafficking took
place.
In Western & Central
Europe and in the Middle
East, the role of foreign
offenders appear to be
more significant than inother regions.

Persons under prosecution for
trafficking inpersons offences in Italy, bycitizenship (2003-2007)
Chinese, 49
Polish, 36
Thai, 11

Nigerian,
144

Ghanaian, 9Albanian,
176

Bulgarian, 9Others, 89
Ukrainian, 7Romanian,
217

Italian, 203

Source: National Anti-Mafia Bureau, Italy

3. The gaps

An International framework• United Nations Convention against Transnational
Organized Crime– Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Traffickingin Persons, Especially Women and Children– Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land,
Sea and Air– Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of andTrafficking in Firearms, their Parts and Components andAmmunition* General Assembly Resolutions 55/25, 15 November
2000 and 55/255, 31 May 2001

Purposes of the Trafficking Protocol- to prevent and combat trafficking, paying particular attention towomen and children (=person under 18 years of age)- to protect and assist victims, with full respect to human rights- to promote cooperation among State Parties

Global Programme against Trafficking in Persons• UNODC supports Member States to implement:

The Trafficking in Persons Protocol– to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Womenand Children

Inadequate national legal frameworksInsufficient planning & policy coordination

Limited criminal justice capacity and expertiseLimited assistance & protection for victims

Lack of prevention & non targeted awarenessraising

Lack of data at all levels

Limited cross-border cooperation

A hope for 2012….
…for all States toimplement theProtocol…
…for Japan tosign & ratify theUN Convention &Trafficking inPersons Protocol

Thank you!

Anti-Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Unit
UNODC
P.O. Box 500, 1400 Vienna
Austria
Tel. (+43-1) 26060-5687
Fax. (+43-1) 26060-5983
Email: ahtmsu@unodc.org