Vienna, 5 April 2019 - The Permanent Representative of Belgium to the United Nations in Vienna, Ghislain d'Hoop, today met with the Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Yury Fedotov, to announce a two-million Euro contribution to the United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund for Victims of Human Trafficking.
"I am extremely grateful to Belgium for this generous contribution" said Mr. Fedotov. "It will go a long way in helping UNODC ensure, through the Voluntary Trust Fund, that thousands of victims of human trafficking around the world, and especially women and children, can become survivors. I sincerely hope that the example of Belgium will be followed by other donors," he added.
Mr. d'Hoop stressed that "Belgium is pleased to give its contribution to such a dynamic program, that is supporting action where it is the most needed, by providing relief for the most vulnerable."
Belgium's contribution will enable the Trust Fund to support the work of its NGO partners and increase the provision of essential services and assistance to victims globally.
Every year, criminal organizations traffic thousands of children, women and men robbing them of their rights and dignity. Trafficking for sexual exploitation and forced labour are the most frequently detected forms of this heinous crime, but victims are also subjected to forced marriage, begging, organ removal, and other forms of exploitation.
Managed by UNODC, the UN Voluntary Trust Fund for Victims of Human Trafficking, Especially Women and Children, provides humanitarian, legal and financial aid to victims of these crimes. The Trust Fund awards grants to specialized NGOs around the globe that work to ensure that victims of human trafficking are identified, treated humanely, protected, and provided with the physical, psychological and social support necessary for their recovery and reintegration.
At the meeting, Mr. Fedotov also announced the results of the Trust Fund's third grant cycle for its Grants Programme. 25 specialized NGOs and grassroots organizations that provide critical assistance and protection to trafficking survivors globally have been selected in 23 countries. Priority of the call for proposals focused on projects providing direct assistance to victims coming out of a context of armed conflict and those identified amongst large movements of refugees and migration flows.
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Since its inception in 2010, the United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund for Victims of Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women & Children has received US$ 6.7 million in contributions from 30 Member States, 33 private sector organizations and scores of individual donors. The Trust Fund provided grants to 59 NGO projects that offer essential assistance to trafficking survivors in over 40 countries.
The Third Grant Cycle of the UNVTF
