Human trafficking is a horrific crime that targets the most vulnerable in our societies.
On this World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, we focus on the most vulnerable among us – children.
Children account for one-third of trafficking victims, suffering unspeakable abuse – whether they are forced into labour, sold off as brides, recruited as soldiers, or coerced into criminal activities. Rising inequalities and globalization have fuelled complex trafficking networks that challenge traditional legal frameworks, creating new forms of slavery. Online platforms further expose children to sexual exploitation and gender-based violence and allow traffickers to exploit victims across borders.
The physical and psychological scars of these crimes persist long into adulthood, robbing them of their innocence, futures and fundamental rights.
We must strengthen protection responses – including child-sensitive justice mechanisms, raise awareness, support unaccompanied children on the move, provide care for survivors, and tackle the root causes of exploitation by helping vulnerable families.
I call upon governments, civil society, and the private sector, including tech companies, to intensify their efforts and collaboration so that no child is victimized and no trafficker goes unpunished.
On this day, let us renew our commitment for a future where every child is safe and free.Human trafficking leaves deep scars.
And when the victims are children, those scars can come to define the rest of their lives.
This year’s theme for World Day Against Trafficking in Persons focuses on child victims, which have tripled over the past 15 years.
According to UNODC data, children account for more than a third of victims detected globally, and in some regions, they constitute the majority.
Poverty, conflict, climate change, and inadequate parental support are leaving too many children, easy prey for traffickers.
And once trafficked, they endure horrific abuse.
They are forced to work under horrendous conditions in sweatshops, on farms, and construction sites.
They are made to beg on the street, commit crime, or work as domestic servants.
They are recruited as child soldiers, while others are trafficked as they attempt to flee the shadow of war.
And many, particularly girls, face gender-based violence, sexual exploitation, and forced marriage.
Meanwhile, digital technologies are enabling exploitation, with artificial intelligence generating thousands of images of child sexual abuse.
Last year, the United Nations policy forum on human trafficking, ICAT, called for united action to end child trafficking.
Now we must heed that call, by stepping up responses and working across all sectors of society, including governments, the private sector, tech companies, schools, healthcare, and social workers.
As a mother and a grandmother, I want to leave behind a world where no child is exploited, trafficked, or abused.
Let’s work together to make the world safer for all children.
