Regional Conference: Addressing trafficking in persons for sexual exploitation in South-Eastern Europe - a way forward towards a whole-of-society response

8-9 May, Dubrovnik, Croatia - Human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation persists as a serious issue in South-Eastern Europe (SEE). This crime inflicts severe physical and psychological harm. Employing a "whole of society" approach, involving governments, NGOs, law enforcement, the private sector, and communities, is crucial to ensure effective victim support and address root causes through collaboration, capacity-building and policy development.

To promote the “whole of society” approach to trafficking in persons (TIP) in SEE, UNODC recently partnered with the Office for Human Rights and Rights of National Minorities of the Government of the Republic of Croatia to organize a regional conference. With generous support from the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs of France and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sweden, the regional conference provided a platform for practitioners to strategize on what works in combating TIP for sexual exploitation.

With over 60 participants, in person and online, the regional conference explored concrete actions contributing to a comprehensive, tailored approach in the ongoing fight against this phenomenon.

Discussions emphasized that, in addition to women and girls, men and boys can also fall victim to sexual exploitation, alongside vulnerable groups such as minorities, migrants, persons with disabilities, and those facing precarious situations. Challenging prejudices and ensuring that no victim is overlooked are therefore key elements of the “whole of society” approach.

Participants brainstormed on key actions to be undertaken as part of the “whole of society” approach. These include addressing root causes, such as socioeconomic vulnerability; enhancing victim identification capacities, considering the complexity of mixed exploitation situations; ensuring compensation for victims and strengthening financial investigations to seize assets from perpetrators; providing specific protection and support services to prevent re-victimization and facilitate reintegration; and enhancing prevention and awareness-raising efforts, including educating parents and children about online dangers.

Overall, the discussions reaffirmed the critical necessity for strong collaboration among all stakeholders, encompassing governmental, non-governmental, public, and private sectors at local, national, and international levels. To facilitate such collaboration in SEE and further promote the ‘whole of society’ approach, UNODC remains committed to implementing national and regional activities addressing identified challenges. One such initiative is the upcoming Regional Workshop titled 'Addressing the Use of Modern Technologies for Enabling Trafficking in Persons and Challenges of Use of Digital Evidence in Investigation of Trafficking in Persons in South Eastern Europe,' scheduled for 12th - 13th June 2024 in Montenegro with the overall objective to increase the ability of practitioners in the SEE jurisdictions to investigate and prosecute TIP and engage in effective cross-border cooperation with focus on the use of digital evidence.