25th Conference of the Alliance against Trafficking in Persons
When
Where
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Join us at the 2025 OSCE Alliance against Trafficking in Persons Conference!
Register here: https://bit.ly/25thAllianceAgainstTrafficking
Join the conversation on @X and LinkedIn using #cthb25.
Despite efforts since the adoption of the 2003 OSCE Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings and its subsequent 2005 Addendum on Addressing the Special Needs of Child Victims of Trafficking for Protection and Assistance, child trafficking remains a global crisis. The upcoming 25th Alliance Conference presents a vital opportunity to take stock of progress made, but also to identify persistent challenges, and strengthen our collective response to child trafficking.
The evolving threat landscape
Child trafficking has tripled over the past 15 years, fueled by technology that perpetrators exploit to recruit, manipulate and control victims online. The COVID-19 pandemic saw a spike in online sexual exploitation, with reports of child sexual abuse materials dramatically increasing. Alarmingly, the use of Artificial Intelligence to create explicit content involving minors is on the rise, with technology advancing at a rapid pace.
Beyond sexual exploitation, forced criminality has risen significantly across the OSCE region, from 2% in 2015 to 24% in 2020. This concerning trend is echoed globally, with data confirming that children are particularly affected. Traffickers exploit children, particularly those below legal responsibility, to shield themselves from prosecution. Nevertheless, many victims endure arrest without proper trafficking identification, leaving them vulnerable.
Institutional care risks and child vulnerability factors
The risks associated with institutional care highlight the need for reform and de-institutionalization. Research shows that these environments increase children's vulnerabilities to violence and trafficking. This issue is further complicated by orphanage trafficking, often tied to orphanage voluntourism, further highlighting the need to address the link between child trafficking and institutionalization.
Concurrent crises like armed conflicts, political and economic instability, natural disasters, and climate change also exacerbate children's vulnerabilities.
Multi-stakeholder collaboration: The path forward
Addressing child trafficking requires a whole-of-society approach in which key sectors, including child protection, health care, education and criminal justice work together in identifying, protecting, and supporting at-risk children and child survivors of trafficking. The conference in Vienna from March 31st to April 1st is an opportunity to tackle these issues directly.
Through expert panels and discussions, participants will explore holistic solutions that prioritize prevention, protection, and prosecution. The focus will be on reinforcing partnerships across governments, civil societies, and local communities.
The conference aims to renew efforts to end child trafficking in the OSCE region and beyond, emphasizing that safeguarding children now shapes a better future for us all.
Participants can join the dialogue online and engage with #CTHB25 on social media.
The Alliance
The Alliance against Trafficking in Persons Conference is an annual gathering of key stakeholders from across the OSCE region aiming to raise the political profile of the fight against trafficking in human beings (THB) and discuss emerging topics and trends in this area. With participation from national authorities, as well as international and civil society organizations, the Alliance helps to co-ordinate and amplify the efforts of all stakeholders toward the common goal of preventing and combating human trafficking.