Administered by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the Trust Fund's mandate is to provide humanitarian, legal and economic assistance to victims of trafficking in persons through the awarding of multi-year grants to specialized, in-situ, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), who are on the frontlines of tackling human trafficking.
These CSOs are selected through a rigorous grant-selection process that is led and facilitated by the UNVTF Secretariat based in Vienna, Austria.
Adopting a victim-centred approach, the Trust Fund has directly supported over 90,000 victims of human trafficking since establishment through its NGO partners. The NGOs provide critical assistance to victims including shelter, health services, psycho-social support, education, vocational training and access to financial inclusion.
The Trust Fund’s approach aligns with the ‘3P’ paradigm of ‘Prevention’, ‘Prosecution’ and ‘Protection’, formulated under the Trafficking in Persons Protocol. This paradigm serves as the fundamental framework used by governments around the world to combat trafficking in persons and seeks to guarantee the rights of each individual victim.
The UNVTF Board is composed of five experts with relevant experience in the field of trafficking in persons, and is appointed by the UN Secretary-General with due regard to geographical representation to serve a three-year term. The five members provide strategic advice to the Trust Fund Secretariat in the management of the Fund.
For the term 2023 - 2026, the Board Members, as appointed by the UN Secretary-General, include:
