United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

The UNODC Regional Office in East Africa (ROEA)

UNODC, HAART and PAWA254 celebrate the World Day against Trafficking in Persons in Nairobi 

22 July 2015 - On the occasion of the World Day against Trafficking in Persons, the UNODC Regional Office for East Africa (ROEA) is organizing an awareness-raising event on Trafficking in Persons in partnership with a local NGO and an art center in Nairobi.

Trafficking in persons is a serious crime and a grave violation of human rights. Every year, thousands of men, women and children fall into the hands of traffickers, in their own countries and abroad. Almost every country in the world is affected by trafficking. In 2014, the UN General Assembly decided to designate the 30th of July as the World Day against Trafficking in Persons, " in the context of the need for raising awareness of the situation of victims of human trafficking and for the promotion and protection of their rights" (UNGA Resolution A/RES/68/192).

As a guardian of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) and its supplementing protocols on Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants, UNODC ROEA is supporting the initiative of a local NGO, HAART, in hosting " Arts to End Slavery: Countering Violent Extremism and Provision of Assistance to Victims of Trafficking". This exhibition will promote the fight against Trafficking in Persons through various art works, and the event will also include a film screening of the various faces of trafficking. A panel discussion on the different elements of trafficking will also be held. The art center PAWA254 will host the event, and it is open to all member of public from 3p.m. to 9p.m.

A social media campaign entitled #igivehope has been launched since 2014, encouraging people around the globe to express their solidarity with victims of Trafficking in Persons. The idea of the campaign is for people to share a symbolic picture of a blue heart, giving back to the victims what their offenders have stolen: a promise of freedom.