The
Protocol was adopted by the United Nations
in November 2000 as part of the
United
Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. It is the first legally binding instrument with
an internationally recognized definition of human trafficking. This definition provides a vital tool for the identification
of victims, whether men, women or children, and for the detection of all forms of exploitation which constitute human trafficking.
Countries that ratify this treaty must criminalize human trafficking and develop anti-trafficking laws in line with the Protocol’s
legal provisions.