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High-level meeting of the General Assembly on the appraisal of the United Nations Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons
Survivors of human trafficking today recounted painful stories of kidnapping, violence and rape — often the result of criminals exploiting their hopes for a better life — as the General Assembly adopted a Political Declaration aimed at combating that brutal practice.
The Assembly endorsed the “political declaration on the implementation of the United Nations Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons” by consensus at the outset of its two‑day high‑level meeting on human trafficking, which many speakers described as “modern-day slavery”. Member States reaffirmed their commitment to that instrument, and to the related 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In particular, they agreed to address the many social, economic, cultural and political factors that increased people’s vulnerability to trafficking, including poverty, unemployment, inequality, conflict, humanitarian emergencies and gender discrimination.
“It is so important to hear the voice of survivors,” emphasized Grizelda Grootboom, a civil society representative from South Africa, as she described her emotional personal experience. Having grown up in Cape Town in the Nelson Mandela era, she recalled that her expectations for a better life had been exploited by a friend who forced her into sexual slavery in Johannesburg. “My journey ended up in the hands of someone who knew I was desperate for hope and for freedom,” she said, recalling that upon her arrival the traffickers had injected her with drugs, duct‑taped her mouth and undressed her. When the first client arrived, he was told that “fresh meat is on the market”.
After years spent working from brothel to brothel, and later as a drug trafficker for her pimps, she said she eventually escaped after a beating landed her in hospital. However, she continued to be stigmatized for having been a sex slave. “I didn’t have any identity,” she said. Even today, it hurt to see headlines reporting that trafficking persisted. “Sex slavery is just another form of oppression, especially for the black child,” she emphasized, expressing hope that the Global Plan of Action would not exist merely on paper, but in every community, township and city across the globe.
Secretary-General António Guterres said tens of millions of people around the world were victims of forced labour, sexual servitude, recruitment as child soldiers and other forms of exploitation, with such abuse gripping the weakest and most vulnerable. Countless businesses in both the global North and South benefited from that misery, he said, adding that in recent years, conflict, insecurity and economic uncertainty had brought new tests, with millions of people spilling out of their countries towards safety. While thousands died at sea, in deserts and detention centres, many others found themselves “at the mercy of merciless people”, he said.
General Assembly President Miroslav Lajčák (Slovakia), stressing that the will to fight human trafficking must be manifested in action, said the horrors and complexity of that abuse affected people everywhere. Echoing calls for a victim‑ and survivor‑centred approach, he said the United Nations had a duty to be a voice for victims. For people to live freely and peacefully, they must be free from the threat of trafficking. “Prevention is better than cure,” he asserted, urging States to prioritize efforts to starve traffickers of benefits, while also addressing both demand‑ and supply‑side problems.
Mira Sorvino, actress and Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), said words must be transformed into meaningful, robust action to help those tormented by trafficking. Member States could not look away from the plight of victims. Conflict, climate change and the resulting migration patterns were creating massive displacement, she said, describing those factors as a “direct pipeline” to victimhood. Calling for private sector cooperation and the involvement of survivors at all levels of policymaking, she said law enforcement efforts must take a child‑centred, evidence‑based approach, and investigators must work to ensure that the testimony of victims was not their only hope of justice.
Yuri Fedotov, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, said today’s Political Declaration would help sharpen responses to an “odious crime” that exploited and victimized the most vulnerable. Since the adoption of the landmark Plan of Action in 2010, much had been done to reverse the phenomenon. Nevertheless, enforcement gaps remained, with more action required in prosecuting trafficking lords in particular. Calling for victim‑centred criminal justice responses and better evidence collection, he echoed calls to address root causes and urged States to support the United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund for Victims of Trafficking in Persons.
Speakers throughout the morning’s plenary session voiced support for both the new Political Declaration and the original 2010 Action Plan, while also outlining national laws and strategies to combat human trafficking. Some raised concerns about at‑risk populations — including refugees fleeing crises in Syria and other hotspots — while others warned that global instruments would do little to address the horrors of human trafficking if States failed to implement them.
Anifah Aman, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Malaysia, noted that his was both a transit and destination country, and that its citizens were often targeted as victims. In response, the Government had aligned its national anti-trafficking strategy with the 2010 Action Plan, and was engaged in bilateral and regional cooperation efforts under the auspices of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Expressing concern that the Rohingya people fleeing Myanmar could easily become victims, he repeated Malaysia’s calls to that country to end the violence, expressing hope that the measures outlined in today’s political declaration would serve as a strong basis for action going forward.
The European Union representative said the bloc had put in place a framework to address trafficking in a victims‑focused, human rights‑based, gender‑specific and child‑sensitive manner. As the world’s largest donor of aid and funding for related projects, the European Union was working with partners to build capacities and promote standards. She called for greater efforts to address trafficking in the context of migration and the refugee crisis, and for the purposes of sexual abuse and exploitation — including of children and online. “We must step up our efforts to discourage the demand that fosters all forms of exploitation in both legal and illegal economies,” she asserted.
Andrei Dapkiunas, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Belarus, asking whether the United Nations meeting would ignite the “fire of hope” in the hearts of victims, said “we all know the answer to that question”. Indeed, words would only matter if they took the form of practical action. Urging all States to place efforts to combat trafficking above national interests, he warned against attempts to use the issue to pursue narrow political aims. All countries, along with United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations, must adopt an open, honest approach. “Until we do that, the human traffickers will sleep soundly,” he stressed.
In the afternoon, the Assembly held two panel discussions featuring United Nations officials, civil society representatives and survivors of human trafficking, among others. The first addressed themes related to the Global Plan of Action and effective partnerships for the prevention and prosecution of trafficking in persons, with a focus on achievements, gaps and challenges. The second discussed the Global Plan of Action and effective partnerships, with a focus on the role of the United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund for Victims of Trafficking in Persons.
Also speaking during the plenary session were Ministers from Luxembourg, Indonesia, Eritrea, South Africa, Qatar, Zimbabwe, Panama (also speaking on behalf of the Human Security Network), Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt (also speaking on behalf of the Group of Friends United against Human Trafficking), Guyana, Namibia, Dominican Republic, Ukraine and Malawi, as did the Secretary for Relations with States of the Holy See.
Representatives of Sudan, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Israel and Turkey also participated.
The Assembly will reconvene at 10 a.m. on Thursday, 28 September, to conclude the high-level meeting.
