Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UN.GIFT)

The Global Initiative is designed to produce a turning point in the fight against trafficking in persons. The aim is to create awareness and momentum in order to stimulate an international campaign to stop this despicable trade.

The changes in the project's strategy extend the project duration until 31 December 2010. The strategy proposes measures to support the full development of UN.GIFT into a UN multistakeholder initiative providing global access to expertise, knowledge and innovative partnerships to combat human trafficking.

The original project document foresaw three phases in project execution. A preparatory phase including a series of regional events designed to strengthen anti-trafficking networks and to generate coordinated initiatives in preparation to the Vienna Forum. A stocktaking phase, the centerpiece of UN.GIFT, with the organization of the Vienna Forum involving governments, inter-governmental organizations, civil society, the media and the private sector. An implementation phase that would build on the political commitment, the global network and financial resources generated during the first two phases to harness a results-oriented agenda involving the financing of projects from a specially created fund.

After rounds of consultations with Member States, a resolution was passed in August 2007 stating that UNODC should "consult with member States in the event of a proposal to create a trust fund for UN.GIFT", as there were concerns about creating a new funding structure within the UN Secretariat.

In order to mobilize resources from non-traditional sources, UNODC signed a cooperation agreement with the United Nations Foundation (UNF) in order to support resource mobilization for UN.GIFT. UNF is able to receive funds raised from contributors, including from civil society, private sector, non-governmental organizations and/or individual donors to support programmes and activities developed by UN.GIFT. UNF agreed to promote UN.GIFT through the online donate page hosted on the UNF website.

In order to promote resource mobilization for projects on the ground, the UN.GIFT Steering Committee member organizations involved in the joint programmes have started consultations with government donors in the field and will conduct round tables with traditional and non-traditional donors at headquarters to support such efforts.

While the elaboration of comprehensive joint programmes has required additional time and resources, this change in strategy will allow for a more comprehensive support to Member States and non-state actors by the SC members through a coordinated programmatic response to countries' technical assistance needs.