UNODC holds online consultation on Public-Private Partnerships: Joining forces to Counter Trafficking in Persons

© UNODC

Vienna (Austria), 28 August 2020 - The UNODC Civil Society Team and the Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Section held last week an online consultation on Public-Private Partnerships: Joining forces to Counter Trafficking in Persons – How can the Private Sector contribute to institutional efforts to counter trafficking in persons?

Over 20 experts exchanged ideas and strategies for public-private partnerships to counter trafficking in persons. This included experts from the governments of Germany, Mexico, Nigeria, and the United States, experts from PayPal, Uber, Facebook, ODDO BHF AG/Anti-Financial Crime Alliance, Microsoft Corporation, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and Dexis Consulting Group, as well as experts from five NGOs.

The aim of this consultation was to evaluate good practices, gaps, challenges and opportunities in order to strengthen the private sector’s support of Member States in their implementation of the Trafficking in Persons Protocol of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC). It was organized as part of the project “Public-private partnerships: Fostering engagement with the private sector on the implementation of UNTOC and its Trafficking in Persons Protocol” funded by the German government.

The recommendations made during this consultation include:

Improve information sharing to address the lack of communication between public and private sector/NGOs.
Provide employment opportunities in the private sector to victims of human trafficking.
Encourage governments to create conducive conditions for the private sector, including by providing incentives to engage in Public-Private Partnerships.
Raise awareness of the nexus between trafficking in persons and other crimes by conducting studies and assessments, with the help of UNODC, on the relation between trafficking in persons and other crimes, and on the way the private sector engages in combating these crimes.
Provide UNODC trainings and workshops to the private sector in order to raise awareness.

UNODC will take into account these recommendations in the process of facilitating four Regional Expert Group Meetings planned within the Public-Private Partnership initiative.

Further information

United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) and its supplementing Protocols
https://www.unodc.org/documents/treaties/UNTOC/Publications/TOC%20Convention/TOCebook-e.pdf

Review Mechanism for the Implementation of UNTOC
https://www.unodc.org/documents/treaties/UNTOC/Review%20Mechanism/Resolution/English.pdf

United Nations

Office on Drugs and Crime

UNODC holds online consultation on Public-Private Partnerships: Joining forces to Counter Trafficking in Persons

Further information