VIENNA, FEBRUARY 3rd – The Italian Permanent Representative to the International Organizations in Vienna, Alessandro Cortese, closed the special event held in Vienna for the launch of the latest UNODC Global Report on Human Trafficking.
Speaking as chair of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ), the Ambassador encouraged all attendees to disseminate and make best use of the Report. “Improving our collective knowledge is essential to effectively prevent and combat this heinous crime,” he said.
The Italian Ambassador presented the work of the Commission at the annual meeting of ECOSOC subsidiary bodies. Cortese noted that the CCPJC will provide an important contribution to the 2021 High-Level Political Forum, and in view of the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
The new UNODC Global Report draws attentions to the fact that most vulnerable groups, such as migrants and the unemployed, are particularly targeted by human traffickers. traffickers. Furthermore, the COVID-19-induced recession is likely to expose more people to the risk of trafficking. During the event, the Deputy Political Director of the Italian Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Luca Franchetti Pardo, reaffirmed Italy’s commitment to combating human trafficking at a time where COVID is exacerbating such vulnerabilities.
The Global Report on Trafficking in Persons is produced by UNODC every two years, to inform an effective response to this crime and place it within the context of the UN Sustainable Development Agenda. The latest edition covers data from the world’s largest database on trafficking victims, compiling figures from official sources across 148 countries. It also analyses 489 court cases from 71 different countries, providing more qualitative information on the perpetrators and the characteristics of this crime.
According to the Report, in 2018 about 50,000 victims of human trafficking were identified and reported: almost 800 in Italy. However, given the “secret” nature of this crime, the actual number of trafficked victims is certainly much higher. (@OnuItalia)
