Trafficking in children is on the rise: Immediate action required

Trafficking in children – a severe violation of human rights, a form of violence against children and a serious crime – continues to increase and evolve within and across borders. This complex crime is also one of the fastest growing, driven by three interrelated factors that must be addressed simultaneously: 

• the growing vulnerabilities of children worldwide, which are exacerbated by multiple global crises; 
• a rise in lucrative and organized criminal activities that are increasingly facilitated by technology; and 
• growing global and local demand for the exploitation of children.

Within the United Nations, the Inter-Agency Coordination Group against Trafficking in Persons, co-chaired by the Special Representative for the past two years together with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), has integrated child protection as a cross-cutting priority in its work. On the basis of the collective experience and expertise of the Inter-Agency Coordination Group and its members, the Special Representative argues that trafficking in children demands urgent attention and a redoubling of efforts at the global, regional and national levels for the proactive prevention of and protection of children from the crime of trafficking in children. Without immediate action, the number of children at risk and child victims of trafficking will continue to climb beyond today’s already frightening levels and will continue to undermine the achievement of the commitments under the 2030 Agenda, notably Sustainable Development Goal target 16.2.