Bangladesh: UNODC launches the Global Report on Trafficking in Persons 

Dhaka, Bangladesh/26 January 2023: In a special ceremony held under the framework of GLO.ACT Bangladesh, UNODC launched the Global Report on Trafficking in Persons 2022 in Dhaka, in the presence of government agencies, civil society and other key partners. The Report provides a comprehensive overview of the patterns and flows of trafficking in persons on a global, regional, and national level, covering 141 countries.

The 2022 Report revealed that globally, the number of convictions for trafficking offences fell by 27 per cent in 2020 from the previous year– with sharper decreases registered in South Asia (56 per cent). In addition, the number of victims detected globally fell by 11 per cent in 2020 from the previous year, driven by fewer detections in low- and medium-income countries. 

However, the decrease in convictions was offset by a decline in the number of trafficking victims detected globally, which fell by 11% in 2020. The report also highlighted the impact of the pandemic on trafficking, as the closure of public spaces and restrictions may have forced trafficking into less visible and less safe locations. The report noted that while traffickers have become tech-savvy and are using technology to their advantage, technology can also be used to detect, investigate, and prosecute them.

The report’s policy recommendations and findings were discussed at the launch event in Dhaka, where participants were briefed by Aimée Comrie, Global Coordinator, GLO.ACT, UNODC, Mizanur Rahman, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of Bangladesh and Mahdy Hassan, National Programme Coordinator, UNODC Bangladesh.

Addressing the event, Md. Aminul Islam Khan, Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of Bangladesh emphasised the need to focus on victims. “The emerging effects of COVID 19 and climate change on human trafficking trends and pattern is alarming. I urge our national and international partners to prioritize strengthening capacities to identify trafficking in persons and focus on creating a victim-friendly criminal justice system.”

UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh, Gwyn Lewis, called for stronger multi-stakeholder efforts to prevent trafficking. “We must redouble our efforts to seriously and effectively address poverty and systemic inequalities with sustainable, inclusive responses. Those we leave behind are those we surrender to traffickers.”

Marco Teixeira, Regional Representative, UNODC Regional Office for South Asia, said, “The Global Report mentions the risks linked with cyber enabled trafficking through modalities such as online recruitment and exploitation which were widely used by traffickers during the pandemic. While human traffickers are becoming more tech-savvy and are able to use technology successfully to their advantage, technology can also become an enhancing tool for the criminal justice system to detect, investigate and prosecute traffickers.” 

The findings of the report show higher levels of impunity in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, with fewer traffickers convicted and fewer victims detected in these regions. At the same time, victims from these regions are identified in a wider range of destination countries.

The report also highlights the nexus between climate change-related disasters and human trafficking, as the significant number of vulnerable individuals in disaster-prone regions allows traffickers to organize large recruitment campaigns.

This activity contributed to SDG 8 and SDG 16: https://sdg-tracker.org/

(Supported by the European Union)