Presentation made by Kristiina Kangaspunta, UNODC‌ at the 3rd meeting of the OECD Task Force on Charting Illicit Trade - OECD, Paris, 30-31 March 2015‌ For more information see http://www.oecd.org/gov/risk/charting-illicit-trade-third-task-force-meeting.htm

1. Trafficking in Persons
Trends and Patterns
Kristiina Kangaspunta
UNODC

2. Global situation

3. Trafficking in Persons happens
everywhere
Victims with 152 citizenships were identified in
124 countries across the globe 2010-2012
At least 510 trafficking in persons flows were
identified 2010-2012

4. • 20.9 million people are estimated to be in
forced labour at any given time
(ILO Global Estimate of Forced Labour: Results and Methodology)
• From these 20.9 million people US$150 billion
in profits are produced annually
(ILO, “Forced Labour, Human Trafficking and Slavery,” 2015)
It impacts millions of people

5. Most detected victims are trafficked cross
borders within the same subregion
Domestic
34%
Cross-border
within same
subregion
37%
From nearby
subregion
3%
Transregional
26%

6. Most detected traffickers are nationals of
the country where they are convicted
Foreigners
from other
regions
14%
Foreigners
from the
same region
22%Nationals
64%

7. Sexual exploitation is the most
detected form of exploitation globally
(2011)
Sexual
Exploitation
53%
Forced Labour
40%
Organ
Removal
0.3%
Others
7%

8. But the detection of forced labour is
increasing (2007-2011)
32% 33%
35% 36%
40%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

9. Factors increasing the vulnerability to
trafficking in persons

10. Age

11. Increasing detection of child victims,
2004-2011
10% 13%
17% 21%
3%
9% 10%
12%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
2004 2006 2009 2011
Girls Boys

12. Significant regional differences in child
trafficking (2010-2012)

13. Gender

14. Most detected victims are women (2011)
Adult men
18%
Adult women
49%
Girls
21%
Boys
12%

15. Most detected victims of trafficking for
forced labour are men (2010-2012)

16. Prosecuted Convicted
The share of female traffickers is
exceptionally high (2010-2012)

17. Economic disparity

18. Trafficking flows from poor regions
towards more affluent ones

19. Victims of transregional trafficking are more often detected
in destination countries which have high GDP per capita
South Africa
Bahrain
UAE
United Kingdom
Qatar
Canada
Costa Rica
Isreal
Finland
0
10000
20000
30000
40000
50000
60000
70000
80000
90000
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
GrossDomesticProductperCapita(2011)
Share of victims detected originating from outside the region

20. The presence of organize crime

21. • Cross-border trafficking: the higher the
prevalence of organized crime in the origin
countries, the more victims of these origin
countries are detected in the major
destinations.
• Domestic trafficking: happens everywhere,
and it seems to be unrelated to the level of
organized crime.

22. Typology on the organization of trafficking in persons
Small local operations Medium subregional operations Large transregional operations
 Domestic or short-distance
 One or few traffickers
 Small number of victims
 Limited investment and profits
 No travel documents needed
for border crossings
 No or very limited organization
required
 Within the subregion or neigh-
bouring subregions
 Small group of traffickers
 More than one victims
 Some investments and some
profits depending on the
number of victims
 Border crossings with or
without travel documents
 Some organization needed
depending on border crossings
and number of victims
 Long distance between
different regions
 Traffickers involved in
organized crime
 Large number of victims
 High investments and high
profits
 Border crossings always require
travel documents
 Sophisticated organization
needed to move large number
of victims long distance

23. Conflicts

24. • In 2011-2013, eight countries mainly in the Middle
East and in Western Europe reported having
detected Syrian victims - very rarely detected before
2011
• UNICEF reported in May 2014 that at least 6,000
children have been recruited by armed groups in the
Central African Republic
• In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the UN
documented the recruitment of 996 children by
armed groups in 2012-2013

25. Weak criminal justice response

26. Most countries criminalize trafficking in persons
33
(19%)
97
(56%)
135
(78%)
146
(84.5%)40
(23%)
32
(18.5%)
22 (13%)
18 (10.5%)
100
(58%)
44
(25.5%)
16 (9%) 9 (5%)
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
November2003 November2008 August 2012 August2014
Covers Most/All Forms Partial No Specific Offence

27. But the number of convictions remains low
Not available
17%
No convictions
15%
Less than ten
26%
Between
10 and 50
26%
More
than 50
16% Number of
convictions
recorded
per year,
share of
countries

28. Probability of first-
instance conviction for
persons investigated
for trafficking in
persons

29. Corruption

30. Corruption is linked to trafficking in many ways
• Facilitates human trafficking:
– Opens borders
– Provides resources to traffickers (documents, jobs, etc)
– Protects criminals
• Increases profits for traffickers and public/private actors
• Impedes anti-trafficking measures
• Violates the victims rights
• Feeds trafficking by destabilising democracies,
weakening a country’s rule of law and stalling its
development

31. Links to other crimes

32. • Crimes facilitating human trafficking: kidnapping,
fraud, document forgery, assault, rape, false
imprisonment, breaking immigration and border
laws, corruption of government officials, money
laundering…
• Human trafficking facilitating other crimes: drug
trafficking, weapons trafficking, acts of terrorism,
illegal fishing, environmental crimes…
Trafficking in persons is linked to
multiple crimes

33. WWW.UNODC.ORG/GLOTIP