Combating Trafficking in Persons (CTP) and Smuggling of Migrants - Actions

Actions in Brazil

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) launched its efforts in Combating Trafficking in Persons (CTP) and smuggling of migrants in Brazil in 2002, with the signing of a technical cooperation project with the Ministry of Justice. Since then, UNODC has implemented three CTP projects in partnership with the National Secretariat of Justice (SNJ), which resulted in the preparation of the National Policy to Combat Trafficking in Persons and its two National Plans (PNETPs). The PNETPs are the materialization of the National Policy of Coping with the problem translated into operational lines, activities and goals, to guarantee the adhesion and distribution of the tasks among the various agencies, entities and instances involved with the theme.

Among the cooperation actions contemplated is the strengthening of public policies for CTP, institutional capacities to prevent and criminalize trafficking in persons, as well as those for protection and assistance to victims, legislative aid seeking to ensure that national standards are in place. Compliance with international standards, encouragement of regional and international cooperation in CTP, promotion of awareness campaigns, and research and data collection that can guide the formulation of public policies and CTP programs, among others.

Currently, UNODC supports the National Secretariat of Justice in the process of evaluating the Second National Plan to Combat Trafficking in Persons (II PNETP), as well as in the preparation of the III National Plan to Combat Trafficking in Persons (III PNETP). Furthermore, UNODC supports the Secretariat in the collection and systematization of data on human trafficking in Brazil for the period 2014-2016, which will allow the preparation of qualified diagnoses on this crime and serious violation of human rights in the country.

Also, the UNODC Liaison and Partnership Office in Brazil coordinates the Global Action to Prevent and Combat Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants. It is a joint four-year (2015-2019) initiative involving the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), implemented in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). On April 5, 2017, Brazil joined GLO.ACT - "Global Action against Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants"; GLO.ACT launch held on April 19, 2017.

Regional actions

Based on A Trinational Study about Trafficking in Women from Brazil and the Dominican Republic to Suriname: a joint intervention, published by the NGO Sodireitos, with the support of UNODC and the Embassy of the Netherlands, it took place in the City of Belem, in Brazil, at first a local seminar and following a binational seminar between Brazil and Surinam to deepen de debate about the situation of trafficking in persons in the region. These events were organized in 2009 through the partnership between NGO Sodireitos, UNODC and the Brazilian Secretariat of Policies for Women.

UNODC also work in the region known as the "triple border" (Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay), supporting the Brazilian Special Secretariat of Policies for Women in the implementation of a Assistance Centre for Women Victims of Violence, opened in late 2009.

Due to its regional character, UNODC Brazil and Southern Cone continues to work actively to ensure coordination between the local and national partners, in order to grant a more effective response in fighting human trafficking in the region.