Trafficking in persons has become a cornerstone of organized crime, posing a critical threat to global security, democracy, governance and human rights. Most traffickers operate within structured criminal networks, enabling them to exploit more victims, for extended periods and with greater violence – disproportionality affecting women and children, who frequently endure the most severe forms of abuses.
On the World Day against Trafficking in Persons (30 July), joint statement by the Inter-Agency Coordination Group against Trafficking in Persons, which includes UN Women, urges action on criminal networks behind human exploitation. Trafficking in persons and organized crime form a mutually reinforcing cycle that not only threatens global and national security, weakens governance, and undermines human rights but also erodes the rule of law, weakens democracy, and undermines sustainable development.
