On 13 July 2021, the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC) participated in the United Nations Multi-stakeholder Hearing on the Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons. The event was part of the consultation process leading up to a High-Level Meeting of the plenary of the UN General Assembly, which will take place on 22–23 November 2021 and will evaluate the progress made in implementing the initiative.

The event provided relevant stakeholders with an opportunity to provide input on responding to trafficking in persons, and is intended to inform member states engaged in the negotiations on the High-Level Meeting’s outcome document of the practical experience shared by civil society and other stakeholders in responding to trafficking in persons.

Thi Hoang, managing editor of the Journal of Illicit Economies and Development and an analyst focusing on anti-human trafficking, represented the GI-TOC, addressing the emerging issues and challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. She highlighted eight key ways the pandemic has impacted human trafficking and anti-trafficking efforts.

‘These trends and challenges are exacerbating existing structural weaknesses and are causing systemic changes, which may favour illicit activities if left unaddressed. The decisions that anti-trafficking stakeholders take now will have a huge impact on how criminals can capitalize on the social and economic crises during and after the pandemic,’ said Hoang.

For more information, read the GI-TOC’s full statement at the Multi-stakeholder Hearing here, and watch the event here.