On International Human Solidarity Day, AECT calls on States to support anti-trafficking civil society organizations in times of COVID-19 pandemic

VIENNA, 18 December 2020 – On the occasion of the International Human Solidarity Day, 20 December, the Alliance against Trafficking in Persons' Expert Co-ordination Team (AECT) calls on States to increase their support to anti-trafficking civil society organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

With the virus' spread, the world faces an unprecedented threat to public health that, in turn, creates extraordinary challenges to the economic and social cohesion of all communities. This poses an amplified risk of trafficking in human beings due to increased vulnerabilities, changing modus operandi of criminals, reduced activities of law enforcement, service providers and other anti-trafficking stakeholders, and impeded access to assistance.

Civil society organizations are particularly well placed to complement governments' activities in combating trafficking in human beings. However, they often face legal, financial and practical challenges affecting their daily work, which has been exacerbated by the pandemic.

The AECT believes that national strategies and actions to combat trafficking in human beings, particularly in the current environment, would benefit substantially from the inclusion of and support to civil society organizations working to prevent human trafficking and assist its victims.

The AECT is a broad international forum that includes international, non-governmental, and inter-governmental organizations joining forces to prevent and combat human trafficking. It helps develop effective joint strategies and provides OSCE participating States and Partners for Co-operation with innovative and co-ordinated approaches to strengthen the prevention of trafficking in human beings and the fight against it.

The Team provides a unique platform for co-ordination, expert exchange and consultation among over 30 key international and regional organizations and civil society networks active in combating trafficking in human beings. 

Entire statement available in English and Russian here.

On behalf of the AECT (in alphabetical order): Anti-Slavery International ; Council of Europe (CoE) ; Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) ; ECPAT International ; European Women's Lobby ; Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime ; International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) ; International Labour Organization (ILO) ; International Network of NGOs against Trafficking in Human Beings and Other Forms of Violence (chaired in 2019-2020 by Volunteers’ Movement “The Alternative”) ; International Organization for Migration (IOM) ; International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) ; La Strada International ; Missing Children Europe ; Office of the OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings (OSCE OSR/CTHB) ; Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (PICUM) ; Terre des Hommes ; The Churches' Commission for Migrants in Europe (CCME); United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN WOMEN) ; United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) ; United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)