Our Head of Policy and Research, Phillipa Roberts, took the floor at the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) in Vienna.
The Conference of the Parties brings governments, academics and civil society together to strengthen efforts against organised crime and review how the UNTOC and its Protocols are being put into practice. These include the Trafficking in Persons Protocol, often called the Palermo Protocol.
Forums such as this conference offer an important opportunity for Hope for Justice to share our expertise, amplify survivor experiences, and influence decision-making. This helps us work in partnership to shape effective, long-lasting solutions to human trafficking.
Phillipa writes: “Human traffickers use organised crime networks to support the web they weave in the gaps between systems, sectors and borders. They trap vulnerable people when they slip through those gaps and then exploit them.
When speaking to the UNTOC conference, I explained that to tackle this complex problem, we must protect people by working together to close those gaps. No single government, sector, or organisation can achieve this single-handedly. And we must involve at-risk communities and survivors every step of the way. We must listen to, learn from, and ensure they are critical partners leading the change.
We must prevent human trafficking in our communities, by creating tailor-made solutions that address the root causes of vulnerability to exploitation. This means working with communities to reduce vulnerability by supporting sustainable access to basic needs, ensuring people’s rights are upheld, and that they can make meaningful life choices.
Training to improve identification and safeguarding of those trapped in exploitation, and vulnerable to it, is another vital part of the solution. At the conference, I spoke of how training must be carried out across justice and protection systems, to bring about the change we urgently need.
When it comes to bringing about justice for survivors, the focus should not be solely upon prison sentences for traffickers. Justice for survivors is a kaleidoscope including safety, the ability to make choices about their lives and access to holistic services that enable an environment of recovery. This empowers them to rebuild their lives and create a safe and dignified future.
To achieve this, survivors also need access to an independent advocate (such as an Independent Modern Slavery Advocate in the UK) to ensure their rights are realised in practice.
We absolutely believe that there’s hope for a future free of human trafficking and the organised crime networks that support it. That hope comes from systems, sectors, and countries working together with survivors to build long-term solutions that ensure freedom for everyone.”
