The Congregation of the Mission and the Daughters of Charity are members of the Committee of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) that at the UN advocate against trafficking in persons. The CM representative at the UN is also part of the central commission of Consecrated Life against trafficking in persons in the Americas (9 regional or national commissions). For this reason, we are also associated with Talitha Kum, the international network of Consecrated Life against trafficking in persons.

Human trafficking is a crime that exploits women, children and men for numerous purposes including forced labor, traffic of organs, and sex. The International Labor Organization estimates that 21 million people are victims of forced labor globally. This estimate also includes victims of human trafficking for labor and sexual exploitation. While it is not known how many of these victims were trafficked, the estimate implies that currently, there are millions of trafficking in persons victims in the world.

The work of many social organizations, religious communities, NGOs, etc. aims to prioritize victims coming from a context of armed conflict and those identified among large refugee and migration flows. Its focus is also the work with victims trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation, organ removal, forced begging, forced criminality and emerging exploitative purposes (e.g. skin removal, online pornography).

In September 2015, the world adopted the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and embraced goals and targets on trafficking in persons. These goals call for an end to trafficking and violence against children, as well as for needed measures against human trafficking, and they aim at the elimination of all forms of violence against and exploitation of women and girls.

‘Responding to the trafficking of children and young people’

This year, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has chosen “responding to the trafficking of children and young people” as the focus of the World Day. This year’s campaign highlights the fact that almost a third of trafficking victims are children. The theme draws attention to the issues faced by trafficked children and to possible action initiatives linked to safeguarding and ensuring justice for child victims.

On Monday, July 30, we invite you to honor the international day against the victimization of human beings with your prayer and reflection but also getting informed and joining any local or national efforts so that this day marks another step in our commitment against trafficking in persons. We can collaborate with the efforts others have organized in the prevention, accompaniment, rescue, healing and the social and work relocation of the victims.

Why do we have an international day against human trafficking?

It is not a celebration … it is a day to resist, to sensitize, to raise awareness, to call attention, to point out that there is an unresolved problem, an important and pending issue in societies so that, through this awareness, governments and states will act and take measures or that citizens will demand this from their representatives.

New York July 30, 2018
Congregation of the Mission United Nations Office

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