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Human trafficking
is the acquisition of people by improper means such as force, fraud or deception, with the aim of exploiting them.
Smuggling migrants involves the procurement for financial or other material benefit of illegal entry of a person into a State of which that person is not a national or resident.
Virtually every country in the world is affected by these crimes. The challenge for all countries, rich and poor, is to target the criminals who exploit desperate people and to protect and assist victims of trafficking and smuggled migrants, many of whom endure unimaginable hardships in their bid for a better life.
As the only United Nations entity focusing on the criminal justice element of these crimes, the work that UNODC does to combat human trafficking and the smuggling of migrants is underpinned by the United Nations Convention on Transnational Organized Crime and its protocols on trafficking in persons and migrant smuggling.
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To learn more visit What is human trafficking? and What is migrant smuggling?
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Watch Public Service Announcements and listen to expert interviews here
Latest news
For more, visit our news and events page
25 November 2009 In commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November, UNODC Regional Office for South Asia contributes stories on the life of women suffering different forms of violence
4 November 2009 United Nations Secretary-General addresses Global Forum on Migration and Development
3 November 2009 UNODC promotes international cooperation to prevent and combat trafficking in persons in Mexico and Central America
27 - 30 October 2009 Training based on finalised anti-migrant smuggling manual piloted under the Impact Project
19 October 2009 UNODC launches 'Affected for Life' training film
9 October 2009 Launch of the International Framework for Action to Implement the Trafficking in Persons Protocol in New York.
30 September - 2 October 2009 Workshop to Develop Guidelines on International Legal cooperation Instruments in the area of anti-human trafficking and migrant smuggling held in Budva, Montenegro.
18 September 2009 Today, ILO, UNICEF and Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UN.GIFT) launched the 'Training manual to fight trafficking in children for labour, sexual and other forms of exploitation
28 August 2009 Launch of UN anti-trafficking training manual in Bangkok
7 August 2009 Unprecendented Court of Women hears testimonies from the trafficked and sexually exploited
3 - 4 August Regional Workshop on the Role of NGOs in Preventing the Smuggling of Migrants
29 July 2009 UNODC Toolkit to Combat Trafficking in Persons now available in French
16 July 2009 Mexico and UNODC to launch the Blue Heart Campaign in early 2010
15 - 16 July Experts support draft law to combat migrant smuggling in Côte d'Ivoire
11 July 2009 President Obama praises conviction of human traffickers in Ghana
6 - 7 July 2009 Workshop on International Criminal Justice Cooperation in response to Migrant Smuggling held in Cairo, Egypt
30 June 2009 UNODC launches Model Law against Trafficking in Persons
22 - 24 June 2009 Final Expert Group Meeting to Elaborate UNODC Basic Training Modules on Preventing and Combating Migrant Smuggling held in Abuja, Nigeria
16 June 2009 African Union launches AU.COMMIT, an initiative to fight human trafficking in Africa.
12 June 2009 Council of the Baltic Sea States launches new website with information about Joint Project between the Task Force against Trafficking in Human Beings (TF-THB) and UNODC
22 May 2009 UNODC and European Commission Partnership to Promote implementation of Trafficking in Persons Protocol and Migrant Smuggling Protocol
19 May 2009 New York gallery displays children's art on human trafficking
5-7 May 2009 UNODC Regional Office in Central Asia in coordination with the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan holds workshop on International and national mechanisms of combating human trafficking and protection of victims of human trafficking
April 2009 UNODC and UKHTC (United Kingdom Human Trafficking Centre) enter into strategic partnership
20 April 2009 New Publication on Migrants Smuggling
8 April 2009 The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and UNODC, in the framework of the Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UN.GIFT), launched the publication Combating Trafficking in Persons: A Handbook for Parliamentarians
25 March 2009
Expert Group Meeting on Migrant Smuggling Training Material
25 March 2009 Joint programme meeting in Serbia
5 March 2009, UNODC Executive Director Antonio Maria Costa launches the Blue Heart Campaign against Human Trafficking.
To read about the launch of the Blue Heart Campaign, click here.
To join the Blue Heart Campaign, visit the Blue Heart website.
26 February 2009, UNODC launches regional assessment on penal prosecution capacities to investigate trafficking in persons in Central America
23 to 25 February 2009 , UNODC hosts fourth meeting on Enhancing Operational Capacity to Invest and Disrupt Human Trafficking Activities in the Western Balkans
12 February 2009, UNODC launches Global Report on Trafficking in Persons.
12 February 2009, Academy Award-winning actress Mira Sorvino appointed UNODC Goodwill Ambassador to Combat Human Trafficking
29 January 2009, UNODC anti-trafficking public service announcements available online.
18 December 2008, UNODC launches Online Toolkit to Combat Trafficking in Persons.
30 November - 3 December 2008, UNODC holds Expert Group Meeting to Elaborate Basic Training Modules on Preventing and Combating the Smuggling of Migrants
15 November 2008, UNODC Regional Office for South Asia holds Colloquium on Justice Delivery in India
20 October 2008, UNODC released report on trafficking in Lebanon
15 October 2008, UNODC hosts event to discuss challenges in the delivery of technical assistance
9 October 2008, UNODC releases new Toolkit to combat Trafficking in Persons
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