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Human Trafficking is a crime against humanity. It involves an act of recruiting, transporting, transfering, harbouring or receiving a person through a use of force, coercion or other means, for the purpose of exploiting them. Every year, thousands of men, women and children fall into the hands of traffickers, in their own countries and abroad. Every country in the world is affected by trafficking, whether as a country of origin, transit or destination for victims. UNODC, as guardian of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) and the Protocols thereto, assists States in their efforts to implement the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons (Trafficking in Persons Protocol).
UNODC's Response to Human Trafficking
What is Human Trafficking?
Article 3, paragraph (a) of the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons defines Trafficking in Persons as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs
Elements of human trafficking
On the basis of the definition given in the Trafficking in Persons Protocol, it is evident that trafficking in persons has three constituent elements;
The Act (What is done)
Recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons
The Means (How it is done)
Threat or use of force, coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of power or vulnerability, or giving payments or benefits to a person in control of the victim
The Purpose (Why it is done)
For the purpose of exploitation, which includes exploiting the prostitution of others, sexual exploitation, forced labour, slavery or similar practices and the removal of organs.
To ascertain whether a particular circumstance constitutes trafficking in persons, consider the definition of trafficking in the Trafficking in Persons Protocol and the constituent elements of the offense, as defined by relevant domestic legislation.
Criminalization of human trafficking
The definition contained in article 3 of the Trafficking in Persons Protocol is meant to provide consistency and consensus around the world on the phenomenon of trafficking in persons. Article 5 therefore requires that the conduct set out in article 3 be criminalized in domestic legislation. Domestic legislation does not need to follow the language of the Trafficking in Persons Protocol precisely, but should be adapted in accordance with domestic legal systems to give effect to the concepts contained in the Protocol.
In addition to the criminalization of trafficking, the Trafficking in Persons Protocol requires criminalization also of:
· Attempts to commit a trafficking offence
· Participation as an accomplice in such an offence
· Organizing or directing others to commit trafficking.
National legislation should adopt the broad definition of trafficking prescribed in the Protocol. The legislative definition should be dynamic and flexible so as to empower the legislative framework to respond effectively to trafficking which:
· Occurs both across borders and within a country (not just cross-border)
· Is for a range of exploitative purposes (not just sexual exploitation)
· Victimizes children, women and men (Not just women, or adults, but also men and children)
· Takes place with or without the involvement of organized crime groups.
For a checklist of Criminalization under the Protocol, click here.
For more resources, visit our Publications page.
To see how human trafficking is different to migrant smuggling, click here.
UNODC's Response to Human Trafficking
UNODC offers practical help to States, not only helping to draft laws and create comprehensive national anti-trafficking strategies but also assisting with resources to implement them. States receive specialized assistance including the development of local capacity and expertise, as well as practical tools to encourage cross-border cooperation in investigations and prosecutions.
The adoption in 2000 by the United Nations General Assembly of the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking In Persons, Especially Women and Children marked a significant milestone in international efforts to stop the trade in people. As the custodian of the Protocol, UNODC addresses human trafficking issues through its Global Programme against Trafficking in Human Beings. To date, more than 110 States have signed and ratified the Protocol. But translating it into reality remains problematic. Very few criminals are convicted and most victims are probably never identified or assisted.
For an overview of UNODC's work in the human trafficking field and the real-life complexities faced by people globally every day, please click on the following links:
Prevention of trafficking in persons
Protection of victims of human trafficking
Prosecution of trafficking offenders
On 6 March 2009, UNODC launched the Blue Heart Campaign against Human Trafficking. For more information, click here
Further Information
For more, visit our News and Events page and visit Human Trafficking FAQs
For a full listing of latest tools and publications, visit our Publications page
To learn about Migrant Smuggling, click here
To learn about the
Global Initiative to fight Human Trafficking (UN.GIFT)
visit the
UN.GIFT website
To access UNODC video and audio public service announcements about human trafficking, visit our human trafficking public service announcement page.
For further information please contact the Anti Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Unit .
To join the Blue Heart Campaign against Human Trafficking, visit the Blue Heart website