Since adopting the Blue Heart Campaign in 2019, every year the Government of Belgium has led a national campaign. The campaign is officially launched by the Federal Public Service for Justice ahead of the World Day against Trafficking in Persons in one of Belgium’s three regions (Brussels, Flanders, and Wallonia) on a rotating basis. On 30 July, federal buildings and the cities of Antwerp, Brussels, Bruges, Ghent, Kortrijk, Leuven, Mons dress up and light up their iconic monuments to raise awareness of this heinous crime.
Check out the list of Belgian cities and towns joining the 2024 campaign here.
Local authorities and civil society are often the first responders to human trafficking and play an essential role in preventing it. UNODC Brussels works with three victim shelters PAG-ASA, PAYOKE and SÜRYA. In 2020, UNODC and the Samilia Foundation established a partnership to promote the Blue Heart Campaign.
Belgium is also the leading contributor to the UN Voluntary Trust Fund for Victims of Trafficking in Persons (UNVTF).
Support for the Blue Heart Campaign
The Blue Heart Campaign has been supported by many national and local sport teams in Belgium, including Belgian Cycling, the Belgian Olympic and Interfederal Committee (BOIC), the Belgian Cats and football players of Club Brugge KV. Chocolatier Xocolate also prepares organic, fair-trade creations for the campaign each year.
The Smurfs, Ambassadors for the Sustainable Development Goals, support the Blue Heart Campaign since 2020. Every year, they contribute a new drawing to help raise awareness and support the fight against human trafficking.
The EU is a strong partner of UNODC and recognizes the need for international cooperation to eradicate trafficking in persons. This long-standing partnership enables UNODC to provide expertise to crime prevention and criminal justice agencies, as well as victim support organizations, in partner countries around the world.
Read the joint EU-UNODC statement for World Day against Trafficking in Persons 2024 here.
