To mark World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) released a joint report on 30 July 2020 offering expertise and policy recommendations on how to combat trafficking in human beings during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Around the globe, this global health emergency has created new risks and challenges to victims and survivors of trafficking. It has also worsened and exposed the vulnerabilities of at-risk groups, especially women and children, to trafficking in human beings. The joint publication, Addressing Emerging Human Trafficking Trends and Consequences of the COVID-19 Pandemic, is aimed at providing governments, policy and lawmakers, civil society and international organizations and the private sector with effective guidance to prevent and combat trafficking in human beings. Moreover, the report promotes a human rights, gender and age-sensitive, trauma-informed and victim-centred approach now and after the pandemic.

The report is based on data collected through a global survey of survivors of trafficking and frontline organizations from over 100 countries, including 48 OSCE participating States, as well as in consultation with a panel of experts from governments, international organizations and survivor leadership. It analyzes the emerging challenges and risks in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the emergency measures implemented in response. At its core, the publication offers concrete policy recommendations to address these trends and impacts in the short- to long-term, in a manner consistent with international standards and OSCE commitments and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The policy recommendations cover a wide range of key areas, including:

• the need to strengthen the identification of victims of trafficking
• accessibility of services to victims and survivors of trafficking
• access to remedies including justice and information
• addressing specific needs of women, girls and children
• support and capacity building for both governmental and non-governmental frontline stakeholders

This publication builds on dynamic collaboration between UN Women and ODIHR in ensuring a gender-sensitive approach to all work related to combatting trafficking in human beings. It was developed as part of ODIHR’s mandate to assist OSCE participating States in implementing longstanding OSCE human dimension commitments on combatting trafficking in human beings.