The United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund for Victims of Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children (UNVTF) was established in July 2010 by the UN General Assembly, through the adoption of Resolution 64/293, endorsing the United Nations Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons.
Administered by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the Trust Fund's mandate is to provide humanitarian, legal and financial aid to victims of trafficking in persons through the awarding of multi-year grants to specialized, in-situ, civil society organisations (CSOs), 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 directly supports over 5,000 individuals every year through its CSO partners. The CSOs 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 will serve a three-year term and provide strategic advice to the UNODC Trust Fund Secretariat in the management of the Fund.
For the term, 2020 - 2023, Board members, as appointed by the UN Secretary-General, include:
