Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of UNIC, I would like to apologize for the delay in beginning, but we will now start this event while we wait for our executive director, miss Monica Juma and our representative in New York, miss Shang Hong L to join us.
Excellencies, distinguished delegates, dear colleagues, good afternoon.
It is an honor to welcome you to this event on a Connected World, a coordinated response preventing and combating Technology facilitated trafficking in persons.
Today's event marks the launch of the G of Friends for combating Technology facilitated Trafficking in persons, an important milestone in advancing coordinated responses to this type of crime.
Allow me to express my sincere appreciation to the Republic of Korea for convening this timely initiative.
I also wish to thank co sponsors of today's event as well as members of the group of Friends for their commitment and leadership in advancing collective efforts to combat technology facilitated trafficking in persons.
I shall now yield the floor to our representative, miss Cho Hong Li.
You finished Excellency, distinguished delegates, dear colleagues.
Good afternoon.
Firstly, I truly apologize for being late for this important event due to some arrangement related issues.
So apologize.
Sorry for that.
I will continue by following my colleagues in relation to the moderator.
My name is Xia Hong, representative of New York's Office of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
I also referred to as UNODC.
I will serve as the moderator continually to serve as the moderator of event.
So given the number of distinguished speakers joining us today and in the interest time, let us proceed directly with today's program.
So now I have the honor to give the floor to His Excellency Ambassador Jin Hou Cha, permanent representative of the Republic of Korea, to deliver the opening remarks.
Ambassador, you have the floor.
Thank you.
I'd like to join the apologies for the late opening this event.
The excellencies distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the inauguration of this global brand for combating technology facilitated trap in persons.
My sincere appreciation goes to Executive Director Monica Zuma of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
Your presence is powerful information on the importance of this issue.
I thank miss o Hun, representative of EN ODC, New York, and also miss Kathleen K of UNICEF, who join us on behalf of the UN Interagency Coordination group against Tepin in person.
I warmly welcome our fellow founding members, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Cambodia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Indonesia, Japan, Ghana, Kenya, Lichtenstein, Luxemburg, Malai, Mozambique, the Netherland, the Philippines, the Republic of Moldova, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam.
Thank you all the party members alongside all member state, UN entities, and partners here today.
Technology facilitated trafficking in persons lies at the intersection of digital transformation and human rights.
Indeed, advances in digital technologies, including artificial intelligence are reshaping our society are also being weaponized to recruit, exploit, and control victims with unprecedented speed anonymity and reach.
Last summer, a Korean university student fell victim to an overseas online scam compound, kidnapped, tortured, and ultimately killed.
This tragic incident deeply shocked Korean society and served as a wake up call to the dire risks of human trafficking linked to online scam business.
Our thoughts remain with him, his family, and countless others whose lives have been shattered by this crime globally.
No country or region is immune.
This crime affects every region and society.
Yet the ba scale and complexity of these challenges is precisely why a coordinated multilateral response is critical.
As the UNODC notes in its most recent global report on trafficking in persons, we must adapt our anti trafficking framework to keep pace with the evolution of this crime Israel.
The UN and global community must therefore sound the alarm on the scale and severity of this challenge.
Post dialogue on emerging obstacles and solutions and continuously assess whether the existing UN framework remains adequate to address them.
Encouraging cross border cooperation is taking shape.
In recent years, regional law enforcement authorities across the world, including Korea's interagency task force on special responses to transnational crime have made notable collective efforts to dismantle scale or scale operations.
These cases demonstrate what becomes possible when state act across the border, share intelligence, and expand in concert.
In this spirit, Republic of Korea, alongside our fellow founding members, is honored to formally launch the Global plans for combating technology facilitated tactic in person today.
It will serve as a flexible action oriented platform open to all member states to raise awareness, exchange best practices, poster dialogue on emerging trends, and strengthen cooperation in support of UN processes and mechanisms.
The cruise work will be anchored in the UN in P Protocol and 2025 Political Declaration adopted under General Assembly Lr AIDS nine.
The challenge pose is too best and the human stakes too high for region or communities stand apart.
We warmly welcome member state not part of the group to join us.
Our door remains open to every partner who shares our resolve.
Your continued interest and support will be invaluable as we look forward to deepening our cooperation in the months and years ahead.
In closing, allow me thank you all distinguished colleagues, partners, and friends for your presence and commitment today.
The Republic Korea stands ready to work with all of you to ensure that even as technology continues to evolve, our collective resolve to protect human dignity evolves beyond it.
I thank you.
Thank you very much, Your Excellency, Mr.
Chair, for these opening remarks.
I now have the pleasure to pass by the floor to miss Monica Suman, Executive Director of the UNODC and Director General of United Nations Secretarat in Vienna.
For these keynote remarks, miss Suman, you have the floor.
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, dear friends, good afternoon.
I am pleased to join you today for the launch of this group of friends.
Let me begin by commending the Republic of Korea for its leadership in establishing this important group.
New York is an especially fitting place for this occasion as this is where the international community comes together to confront the defining challenges of our time.
And few challenges illustrate the complexity of our connected world more clearly than technology facilitated trafficking in persons.
It is therefore encouraging to see so many countries already joining this group, which we hope to grow even further.
Your presence here today sends a strong message that this is a global challenge that requires global action.
Excellencies, our world is more connected than ever.
Our economies are connected, our societies are connected, and our information systems are connected.
But so too are criminal networks.
Human trafficking has always adapted to the opportunities of its time and today it is taking advantage of the digital age to expand its reach, scale up its operations, and increase its illicit profits.
Through social media platforms, messaging apps, and the fake job advertisements, criminals can target thousands of people simultaneously across multiple countries and multiple jurisdictions.
They are using emerging technologies and artificial intelligence to automate scams, conceal identities, and generate highly convincing deceptive content.
This convergence of trafficking, technology, and organized crime has been most visible in the alarming rise of online scam centers.
Organized criminal groups are trafficking men, women, and young people into compounds where they are forced to conduct and otherwise support online fraud schemes and the numbers are staggering.
Recent estimates by the UN Human Rights Office indicate that at least 300,000 people from more than 70 countries have been trafficked into these operations.
The illicit profits that are generated from these activities are equally staggering.
In Southeast Asia alone, UNODC estimates that these criminal enterprises have generated up to $37 billion in a single year, which is then launded through sophisticated financial and digital ecosystems, including virtual assets.
This is therefore not only a trafficking crisis.
It is a cybercrime challenge, a fraud challenge, a money laundering challenge, and increasingly an artificial intelligence challenge.
Criminals are moving quickly to harness technologies, while the global response has been slow in keeping up.
Our understanding of the full picture of the threat is limited.
Capacities to respond vary across countries and the information needed to take action is often fragmented.
What we need is greater connectivity in our responses through better technical expertise, better evidence gathering and intelligence sharing, better coordinated law enforcement operations, and better data to understand the latest trends and patterns.
In short, we need to be coordinated as the networks we are seeking to dismantle.
Fortunately, the international community has already built a strong foundation upon which to act.
Through the global plan of action to combat trafficking in persons, the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime and its Trafficking in Persons Protocol, and more recently, the United Nations Convention Against Cybercrime.
As the home of these conventions, UNODC is committed to supporting member states through the full range of mandates and technical expertise.
We support member states primarily in five areas.
We provide operational support and capacity building to help criminal justice institutions tackle this crime by strengthening investigations, supporting survivors, and facilitating cross border cooperation.
We work directly with national authorities across Southeast Asia, South Asia, Latin America, and elsewhere to improve responses and facilitate cooperation on the ground.
We provide world class research and data through our global report on trafficking in persons to help governments understand how these threats are evolving.
We are also using our convening power to bring relevant partners together.
Earlier this year, for example, we organized the global fraud Summit in Vienna, which connected governments with the private sector and tech companies, the other key players needed to address this crime, and we are raising awareness globally.
Next month, we will mark the world day against trafficking in persons by shining a spotlight on trafficking in online scam operations, helping to bring greater visibility to a crime that too often remains hidden behind screens.
Excellencies.
This group of friends has an important role to play in carrying these efforts forward.
It can help sustain political momentum and visibility, strengthen partnerships, and ensure that the discussions taking place here in New York are fed into the multilateral processes back in Vienna.
This includes the Conference of State Parties to the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime, which will meet later this year and its intergovernmental working group on trafficking in persons, which meets in two weeks on this very issue.
It also includes a commission on Crime Prevention and criminal justice, which just concluded it 35th session last week and where member states adopted important resolutions on fraud and trafficking for forced criminality.
It is crucial that we build on these successes at the upcoming 15th United Nations Crime Congress later this year to elevate this issue as a top rule of law and criminal justice priority.
And I welcome the support of the interagency coordination group against trafficking in persons, which reflect the broader commitment of the United Nations system to this course.
Ladies and gentlemen, for centuries, human trafficking has been a stain on humanity and a violation of human rights.
Today, the tools may be different, but the crime remains just as serious.
If criminal networks can use technology to connect, exploit, and profit, then our responses must be equally connected through partnership, trust, and our collective responsibility to the most vulnerable.
UIDC stands ready to work with member states through this group to ensure that technology becomes a force for protection, a force for good, and a force for the preservation of human dignity and not a tool for human exploitation.
I thank you for your kind attention.
I thank miss man for her keynote speech.
We now move to the next segment of our program, inviting members of the group of friends to share their perspectives.
I'm pleased to give the floor to His Excellency, Mr.
James Martin Larson, permanent representative of Australia.
Ambassador, you have the floor.
Thank you so much and thank you, Executive Director, for those remarks.
Just an opening statement, from a personal perspective, as a former ambassador for people smuggling and trafficking from Australia, this is such a fundamental issue and we know the challenge is very real and the numbers you identified of hundreds of thousands of individuals impacted by the scan centers and billions of dollars being made in profit.
Just reminds us how compelling an issue this is.
I really commend Republic of Korea for bringing this together and the initiative of creating a group of friends in this space.
We all know as well, I think that while the underlying challenge has been with us for a very significant period, the increasing availability and misuse of digital capacities is actually transforming these criminal syndicates from being a nuisance to a global threat and all of us need to reflect very, very carefully on that.
When we look at the centers, they are in reality, they're hubs of polycriminality.
They facilitate human trafficking, drug and sex trafficking, money laundering, cybercrime, and a vast array of other transnational crimes.
This is not just some isolated particular concern.
It's actually goes to the very heart of the safety and well being of both the individuals directly impacted by the trafficking, but of course, many hundreds of thousands, if not millions of individuals globally who are impacted by the scams that they perpetrate.
What Australia is reflecting on carefully is how we can most effectively step up and make a difference to try and stop this sector from thriving.
In our region, the Asean Australia Counter Trafficking Program is working to strengthen relevant legal frameworks and enforcement capacity.
We're also working mechanisms to prosecute perpetrators and how you can better protect victims and survivors.
Australia co chairs the Bali process on people smuggling, trafficking in persons, and related transnational crime with Indonesia.
I'm a former co chair of that group and that group is a very, very important cross regional group, which spends a lot of time thinking about how to be more effective globally in this space.
The Australian federal police works very closely with our regional partners in the Indo Pacific on information exchange, joint investigations and dismantling efforts, and Australia absolutely supports multilateral action, including through the UN Office on Drugs and Crime to help identify practical solutions to build globally coordinated responses.
We also firmly support the UN Convention Against Cybercrime, which Australia signed last year.
That convention creates a robust framework which is very supportive of the work that we're trying to do.
We very much look forward to the discussion at this year's UTP working group on trafficking in persons, which will touch on these issues.
And I'm confident that today's discussion and the further work that we do is a very, very important part of making the New York community that we're part of at the very heart of collaboration to really stamp down this evil evil crime.
Thank you.
Thank you very much, Ambassador, for your statement.
So now I would like to give the floor to His Excellency, Mr.
A Ku, permanent representative of the Kingdom of Cambodia.
Ambassador, you have the floor.
Thank you.
Mr.
Chair, Iceens distinguished colleagues, at the outset, Cambodia expressed its sincere appreciation to the Republic of Korea for its leadership in launching the group of friends for combating technology facilitated trafficking in persons.
We commend this important initiative to strengthen international cooperation, recognizing that no country, regardless of its capacity, can address these complex and transnational crimes alone.
The digital transformation of our society has created immense opportunity for development.
At the same time, it has become a force multipliers for criminal networks, enabling the rapid recruitment, disruptions, coercions, and cross border exploitation of vulnerable individuals.
Cambodia has confronted this challenge directly.
In recently, transnational crime group have misused our territories and digital platform to facilitate trafficking in persons and other form of online criminal activities affecting individuals across the regions.
In response, Cambodia has intensifies it hold of governments efforts to dismantle criminal compounds, secure victims, and bring perpetrator to justice.
These efforts include strengthening border management, enhanced digital forensics capabilities, and closer cooperation with Asean member states and international partners.
Earlier this year, Cambodia adopted the law on combating online scams, providing a stronger legal frameworks to prevent, investigate, and prosecute of crime linked to online exploitation and trafficking in persons.
The recent recommendation by Mr.
Andrew Bali, Deputy Director of the FBI for Cambodia' decision to grant unprecedented access to rape scams compounds and share intelligence further at test our genuine commitment to combating international organized crime.
Cambodia has also completed its voluntary national review of Global Compact for safe, orderly, and regular migration, reaffirming the commitment of protecting the right and dignity of all migrants and promoting safe, orderly and regular migrations.
Mr.
President, preventing the combating of trafficking in persons, including emerging form of exploitation associated with online scams operation remained a national priority for Cambodia.
Cambodia look forward to further strengthened partnerships, enhancing coordinated response, and advancing collective effort to prevent and combat facilitated trafficking in person.
I thank you.
I thank the ambassador of Cambodia for his statement.
I'm pleased to give the floor to His Excellency, Mr.
Erik Austria, Maalo permanent representative of the Philippines.
Ambassador, you have the floor.
Very much, Madam Chair and also Executive Director and also to congratulate the Republic of Korea on the launch of this group of friends for combating technology facilitated trafficking in persons and the Philippines is very glad to be one of the members of the group of friends.
We welcome this initiative as very timely and a very important response to an increasingly complex threat that is quickly transforming the global trafficking landscape.
We now confront online sexual abuse, exploitation of children, trafficking linked to online scam hubs, and forced criminality, illegal arrangements, and other forms of exploitation that increasingly rely on digital platforms and transnational networks.
In this regard, therefore, enhanced international cooperation grounded in human rights norms is required.
Allow me to share some developments in the Philippines that may be relevant to our collective work here.
Through the Interagency Council Against Trafficking and the National Coordination Center against Online sexual abuse or exploitation of children and child sexual abuse or exploitation materials, we have enhanced coordination among law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, social workers, and international partners.
We also have institutionalized a nationwide victim identification system and enhanced our national referral mechanism.
We've also reinforced data driven responses through initiatives such as the Protect Portal, which is a centralized anti trafficking database that improves case tracking, trend analysis, and evidence based policy making.
But despite these efforts, we recognize that significant challenges remain and cannot be solved by single by countries alone.
Multilateral cooperation is needed.
For this reason, the Philippines believes a group of friends can make an important contribution in at least three key areas.
The first is strengthening practical cooperation among member states to raise awareness of new challenges brought about by emerging technologies.
We could also consider monitoring where possible, and as appropriate, even helping ongoing regional efforts such as those, for example, being conducted and done by Asean member states and even those between Asean member states and Australia, as mentioned by Ambassador Larson.
The second point is we could foster meaningful engagement with technology companies and other private sector stakeholders.
And third, promote capacity building and the sharing of best practices and strengthening cyber investigations capabilities, victim protection systems, and digital governance frameworks.
So we look forward to working closely with a group of friends in combating trafficking in persons at all its forms, including that which is facilitated through the misuse of technology.
Thank you very much.
I thank the ambassador of the Philippines for his statement.
And please now give the floor to her Excellency, miss Liz, Gregoria 100 permanent representative of the Netherlands.
Ambassador, you have the floor.
Thank you so much.
I would like to start by thanking the Republic of Korea for taking this initiative and the Executive Director of UNODC to be here with us today.
That's very important.
Trafficking in persons is not only a serious crime, it is a flagrant violation of human rights.
As it's not stopped by borders, it is very important that we discuss it here in the UN.
The online dimension of nowadays trafficking in persons makes it much easier for the perpetrators to reach their vulnerable victims to stay anonymous and hidden for law enforcement, but also to launder their illegal proceeds through virtual currency.
In the Netherlands, we see two worrying trends.
Firstly, the virtual recruitment of very young boys by criminal organizations to transport drugs or to commit serious violent crimes, and secondly, the sexual exploitation of young vulnerable women being advertised on adult content platforms.
The online world has no borders nor boundaries, and therefore, the National Police and the prosecution Service of the Netherlands can only be successful in close cooperation with other international law enforcement organizations.
Now I will give you a few examples.
The police of the Netherlands participated in a number of international hackatons together with Interpol and several international police organizations.
These hackatons provided new intelligence that led to several criminal investigations.
The Dutch police proactively analyzed several ICT platforms and detected international cases of so called e pimping, a criminal practice to sell or offer women or men for sexual purposes or trade in adult content platforms.
In the Netherlands, the police work closely together with social workers, municipalities and private organizations to reach out to possible victims of human trafficking with the aim of prevention and disruption of the criminal activities.
Thank you all for letting us participate in this group of friends, an excellent platform to strengthen each other, to exchange ideas, and to learn from each other's best practices.
We look forward to be working with you all.
Thank you.
I thank the ambassador of the Netherlands for her statement.
I'm now honored to give the floor to his Excellence Min Domingo So, Fernando permanent representative of Mozambique.
Ambassador, you have the floor.
Thank you, Madam Moderator.
Mozambique is pleased to join this inaugural meeting of the group of friends for combating technology, facilitate trafficking in persons, and also commend the Republic of Korea for the leadership and commitment in bringing attention to one of the most pressing and evolving challenge of our time.
We also thank the UN DC Executive Director for her insights.
Distinguished colleagues, technological innovation has transformed our world, opening new pathways for development, but also create new vulnerabilities.
Criminal networks have proven swift to exploit these openings, leveraging digital platform, artificial intelligence, and online tools to recruit victims, evade detection, and operate across borders with growing sophistication.
Trafficking in persons was already among the most serious forms of transnational organized crime, undermining human dignity and exploiting the most vulnerable.
Technology has made it more complex, more covered, and harder to combat.
Critically, no country is immune regardless of size, level of development, or geographical location.
All nations are increasingly at risk.
This is not a challenge confined to anyone region or income group, and it is precisely why no state can effectively address these challenges in isolation.
International cooperation, capacity building, information sharing, and coordinated policy responses are optional but indispensable.
Mozambique has taken concrete steps to strengthen its own framework.
We are part of the UN Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime, its Palermo Protocol, and the recently adopted the UN Convention Against cybercrime.
At national level, our parliament approved both the cybersecurity law and the cybercrime law in April 2026, while our national Cybersecurity Strategy 2026 2030 is currently under review.
While challenges remain, these instruments provide an essential normative and operational framework for coordinated international action against trafficking in persons and other forms of organized crime.
Mozambique believes this group of friends is both timely and necessary, offering a meaningful platform for dialogue and collective action among member states, international organizations, civil society, and the private sector.
And finally, Mozambique stands ready to engage actively and contribute to the work of the group of friends in advancing our shared goals of building a safer, more secure, and more humane digital future.
Thank you.
I thank the ambassador of Mozambique for his statement.
I'm now pleased to give the floor to his Excellency, Mr.
Bohan Gaf, permanent representative of Singapore.
Ambassador, you have the floor.
Thank you.
Thank you very much, Madam Moderator.
Let me begin by congratulating the Republic of Korea and Ambassador Cha Yi Han and his team for their leadership and initiative in establishing this group of friends.
I also want to thank and recognize UNODC and Executive Director miss Monica uma for her remarks and for their very important work in this area.
Singapore is very delighted to join as a member of this very important group.
Excellencies, dear friends, technology facilitated trafficking in persons is not a distant concern for Singapore.
As a small and highly connected economy, we are acutely aware of how the misuse of digital technologies can affect our people in our region.
The harms cross borders and our responses must do the same.
Allow me to share three brief reflections on national experience, partnerships, and challenges.
First, on national experience.
Singapore acceded to the UN Trafficking in Persons Protocol in 2015, and we enacted the Prevention of Human Trafficking Act in the same year.
We operate on a four piece strategy, namely prevention, prosecution, protection, and partnership, anchored by an interagency task force.
To address the technology dimension, we have established an anti scam command that works closely with our banks, payment providers, and technology platforms to detect and disrupt scam operations in real time.
These public private partnerships are, in our experience, indispensable.
Second on partnerships, no country can address this challenge alone.
At the regional level, Singapore is an active partner in the Asean Convention Against Trafficking in Persons, the BohoO Work Plan 2.0, and Asean Senior Officials meetings on transnational crime.
At the global level, we value our partnerships with certainly UNODC, OHCHR, IOM, and Interpol, and we look forward to deepening them through this group by collaborating with all our friends around the table.
Thirdly, on challenges, the pace of technological change continues to outstrip our collective ability to respond.
Traffickers exploit new tools, including artificial intelligence, as was addressed by miss Suma, and cryptoed platforms and also cryptocurrencies with growing speed and sophistication.
Our efforts must therefore be coordinated and complementary and must keep the victims and survivors of trafficking at the center of everything that we do.
Excellencies, dear friends, to conclude the 2025 Political Declaration on the global plan of action to combat trafficking in persons gives us a clear mandate.
This group is an important platform to translate that mandate into coordinated action that will make a difference to our people in our countries and societies.
Singapore looks forward to working closely with all of you.
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much, Ambassador, for your statement.
I now give the floor to His Excellency, Mr.
Church Chavad B, permanent representative of Thailand.
Ambassador, you have the floor.
Thank you very much.
Excellency, Madam Executive Director, first of all, let me express Thailand's deep appreciation to the Republic of Korea for this very timely and extremely important Group of Friends initiative.
We are very pleased to join the group as well as co sponsoring this event.
The rapid proliferation of online scam operation in Southeast Asia and beyond not only poses transient security and economic threat but indeed, also involves serious human rights abuses and violations, especially in the form of trafficking in persons.
Today, we certainly witness increasing cases of technology facilitated trafficking in persons from online scam operations as a result of the misuse of digital technologies to recruit, control, and exploit victims.
Situated right in the heart of Southeast Asia, Thailand is, unfortunately, often used as a transit country for trafficking victims from across the world into scam compounds in neighboring countries.
For our part, Thailand has declared combating human trafficking and cybercrime, including online scams a priority in our national agenda.
We have also established a national committee for the prevention and suppression of technology related and transnational crimes to strengthen coordination, policy planning and implementation.
Our response rests on prosecution, protection, prevention, and policy and partnership while prioritizing whole government and whole of society approaches.
Since February 2025, Thailand in collaboration with embassies, international organizations, and civil society organizations has assisted in repatriating over 13 13,000 people from over 40 countries, rescued from scam centers, In our neighboring countries in uneighboring countries, the operation is still ongoing today.
Our approach is victim centered and trauma informed.
We also apply the non punishment principle through the national referral mechanism to effectively identify victims and distinguish them from perpetrators in defense of all this serious transnational crime or must do their part.
Thailand has been proactive in promoting international partnership against trafficking in persons and online scams and we reiterate our steadfast commitment to do so.
Excellence seas in December last year, Thailand partnered with the UNODC in hosting the International Conference on the global Partnership against online scams.
Last week, at the 35th session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and criminal justice, Thailand organized a side event with the support of the UNODC and Singapore to show cases public private partnership against fraud.
Thailand also co sponsored a side event entitled behind the screens unmasking Sam Centers for Better Victim Protection and Justice.
By Canada with the support of the Philippines, the UK, UNODC, Interpol, OHCHR, and the Global Initiative against transnational organized crime.
Excellencies, this event reaffirms our political will and commitment to strengthening international coordination and cooperation to combat this transnational crime.
We very much look forward to engaging constructively and contributing to the group as we indeed continue to advocate for stronger collective action to prevent and combat technology facilitated trafficking in persons.
Thank you very much for your kind attention.
I thank the Ambassador of Thailand for his statement.
I would also take this opportunity to send our condolences for the passing of the Thai Prince Princess Biya T aba.
Please now give the floor to His Excellency Mist.
Dion decosta B is permanent representative of T L and best, you have the floor.
Thank you, moderator.
Tim Moles is pleased to join as a member of the group in establishing this vital initiative for combating technology facilitated trafficking in persons together with all the partners.
We commend the ambassador of Korea and Korea for taking lead in this initiative and also commend Madam Director for her insights.
Excellency, the rapid evolution of technology has created massive opportunities for economic and social progress, but it has also expanded the tools available to traffickers.
Online scam operations and deceptive recruitment practices demonstrate how criminal groups adapt faster than many conventional national and international enforcement mechanisms.
This reality demands a renewed global commitment to cooperation, innovation, and collective action.
It is precisely for this reason that the establishment of this group of friends is both timely and necessary.
The group provides an essential platform for member states to exchange national experiences, identify emerging trends, share good practices, and support coordinated action through relevant United Nations processes and mechanisms.
No country, regardless of its size, resources, or level of technological development can effectively confront this borderless challenge alone.
Tim more or less the believes that efforts to combat technology facilitate trafficking must be guided by international law and firmly grounded in human rights.
The United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime and its Trafficking in Persons Protocol, which Tim or less ratified in 2009 remain our essential bedrock frameworks for international cooperation, while the broader International Human Rights framework provides the necessary foundation for protecting victims and ensuring accountability.
Excellencies, allow me to share that at the national level, it more or less continues to strengthen its domestic responses through the implementation of law number three slash 2017 on preventing and combating trafficking in persons and our recently adopted national action plan in to combat trafficking in persons in 2026, 2030.
We continue to strengthen institutional coordination, enhance national capacities, and work with international partners to ensure that our frameworks remains agile against evolving digital threats.
The Molestic government recently have successfully dismantled an illegal cyber activity in the enclave of WC and its ring related units across the country.
As artificial intelligence continues to evolve, innovation must be accompanied by appropriate safeguards, transparency, accountability, and respect for human rights, ensuring that technological progress serves as a force for protection rather than an enabler for exploitation.
As we move forward, Excellency, the more or less wishes to highlight the following priorities.
First, strengthening prevention through addressing the root causes of vulnerability, promoting digital literacy, increasing awareness of online risks, and supporting safe migration pathways.
Prevention remains our most effective line of defense.
Second, enhancing international cooperation through information sharing, capacity building, mutual legal assistance, access to electronic evidence, and effective cross border investigations.
Criminal networks operate across jurisdictions.
Our responses must do the same.
Third, ensuring victim centered approaches that provide protection, assistance, access to justice, rehabilitation, and sustainable reintegration while fully respecting the dignity, rights, and choices of survivors.
Victims must remain at the center of all our efforts.
Technology facilitate trafficking is a global challenge that demands a coordinated response.
By strengthening prevention, deepening international cooperation, and placing victims at the center of our efforts, we can build a more effective and resilient response to these evolving threats.
Tim more or less stands ready to work with our partners in advancing these shared objectives.
Thank you.
I thank the Ambassador Tim Leshton for his statement and please now give the floor to His Excellency, Mr.
Hou Wei Dung, Permanent Representative of Vienam.
Ambassador, you have the floor.
Thank you very much, Moderator Ambassador Cha, Executive Director Juma, colleagues.
Vietnam is pleased to join this event as a founding member of the G of Friends on combating technology facilitated trafficking in persons.
We commend the Republic of Korea for taking this very timely initiative and thank you and ODC for supporting it.
Very pleased to see so many member states joining the GOF and in particular many fellow Asean member states, highlighting the region's collective commitment to these efforts and also as part of our implementation of the Asean Convention Against trafficking in persons.
Like many countries, Vietnam is witnessing an increase in the number of victims of fake online recruitment advertisements with promises of attractive jobs abroad.
What begins with a mouse click can quickly lead to exploitation, coercion, and abuse.
This reality requires us to adapt.
As criminal networks become more sophisticated, we must make better use of technology to strengthen prevention, investigation, and victim identification and support.
This means placing greater emphasis in Vietnam, for example, on digital transformation, on data driven approaches, and on innovation in our anti trafficking efforts.
The same time, trafficking facilitated by technology is transnational.
No country can tackle it alone.
Vietnam places great importance on strengthening cooperation with governments, especially our regional partners, with the UNODC and other partners to enhance coordinated responses against transnational trafficking networks.
We see the UN Convention Against Cyber Crimes, the Hanoi Convention, as a robust framework and a practical tool for international cooperation to fight against trafficking offenses committed through the use of ICT systems.
We are pleased to have had 72 countries signing the convention in Hanoi, Vietnam last October and five others since then, and also three ratifications.
So we urge others to sign and ratify the convention so that it can enter into force at the earliest possible date.
Once again, thank you very much to the Republic of Korea and we look forward to working very closely with other members of the group of friends and other partners to turn our shared commitment into concrete action.
If I may, Mr.
Ambassador, propose that we also think of an abbreviated name for our group of friends so that we can refer to it in a more easier manner.
Thank you very much, Madam Moderator.
Thank you, Ambassador, for your statement.
And please now give the floor to His Excellency, Mr.
Simon We Yao Kua, permanent representative of Ghana.
Ambassador, you have the floor.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair.
Excellency, Executive Director of UNODC, ladies and gentlemen, Ghana is pleased to participate in this inaugural meeting of the group of friends for combating technology facilitated trafficking in persons.
We congratulate the Republic of Korea for spearheading this timely initiative in response to the alarming rise in trafficking in persons, especially trafficking that is enabled by digital technologies, including artificial intelligence.
15 years after the adoption of the UN Global plan of action to combat trafficking in persons, traffickers continue to change and adapt their criminal methods.
Today, they exploit conflicts, economic and humanitarian vulnerabilities, and digital platforms to recruit, transport, control, and exploit victims.
The growing prevalence of transnational organized crime has revealed a disturbing reality.
Technology is being misused to facilitate forced labor, sexual exploitation, and other grave violations of human rights.
An unprecedented scale, no country is insulated against this threat.
It is a global challenge that requires a global response.
Ghana therefore strongly supports the establishment of this group of friends as a platform for reason awareness, strengthening dialogue, and advancing coordinated international action through relevant UN processes, mechanisms, and entities.
We believe that this initiative can support member states to implement their obligations under the UN Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime and its trafficking in Persons Protocol.
At the national level, Ghana continues to strengthen its legal and institutional frameworks to combat trafficking in persons.
We are enhancing collaboration among anti trafficking agencies, cybersecurity institutions, law enforcement bodies, and financial intelligence structures to improve prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution.
We are also investing in public education and awareness, particularly among children and young people who are increasingly exposed to online risks.
At the same time, we recognize that technology facilitated trafficking is not solely a law enforcement issue.
It is a human rights issue, a development challenge, and a matter of human security In the matter of human security, addressing it effectively requires comprehensive and victim centered approaches.
Excellence is, Ghana reaffirms its steadfast commitment to international solidarity, multilateral cooperation, and the protection of human dignity.
We stand ready to contribute actively to the work of this group and to support efforts aimed at translating our shared commitment into concrete, sustained and impactful action.
I thank you.
I thank the Ambassador of Ghana for his statement.
Now it's my pleasure to give the floor to His Excellency, Mr.
Roberto Moretti, Deputy Permanent representative of Brazil.
Ambassador, you have the floor.
Thank you, Madam Moderator.
As Brazil is proud to join the group of friends, and we do thank Republic of Korea for taking the initiative.
Technology facilitated trafficking in persons is one of the most complex and rapidly evolving forms of this crime as digital platforms and online tools have significantly expanded the ability of criminal networks to recruit, control, and exploit victims across borders.
Technology has transformed the methods used by traffickers, but not the essence of the crime.
At its core, trafficking in persons is a grave human rights violation that exploits vulnerability for profit, often targeting victims thousands of kilometers away.
Moreover, as women and girls account for 61% of detected trafficking victims worldwide, and nearly 92% of those trafficked for sexual exploitation, it is essential that the group take into account the disproportionate impact of human trafficking on them.
As we advance our discussions, let me highlight some priorities for Brazil.
First and foremost, as others have said, we believe that our efforts must be victim centered.
Many victims do not immediately recognize themselves as such.
Some may even be compelled to participate in criminal activities.
It is therefore essential that identification mechanisms focus on indicators of coercion, control, and exploitation, while avoiding the criminalization of victims.
Second, prevention is key.
Public awareness efforts should help individuals recognize fraudulent recruitment practices and online deception.
Prevention strategies should avoid stigmatizing migration or placing responsibility on victims for the crimes committed against them.
Third, technology is not only a or risk, but also a tool for protection.
Digital technologies can support early detection, victim identification, reporting mechanisms, data collection, and international investigations.
Finally, international cooperation is indispensable, as others have mentioned.
Combating technology facilitated trafficking requires enhanced information sharing, stronger law enforcement and judicial cooperation, for which the Convention Against Cybercrime offers a valuable framework.
Brazil has reinforced international cooperation efforts, having signed four bilateral agreements on trafficking in persons over the past two years, as well as a regional agreement within Mercosur, our trade mechanism.
We remain committed to working with all partners in this group, and I do support the suggestion by the Vietnamese ambassador to find a acronym that might help us.
If the experts are not prepared or better equipped to suggest something, I came up with something could be CTTP.
Not very creative but still shorter.
Thank you.
Thank you, Ambassador for your statement.
It's my pleasure now to give the floor to His Excellcy Mr.
Lee in Sid Norwick, Deputy Permanent representative of Indonesia.
Ambassador, you have the floor.
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Excellency, Madam Executive Director, allow me to commend, first of all, Republic of Korea for initiating the group of friends of CTTP And also organizing this important meeting this afternoon.
Indonesia is pleased to join this group of friends on combating technology facilitated trafficking in person.
We view this initiative as both timely and necessary as trafficking networks increasingly exploit digital platforms and emerging technologies across recruitment, control, and exploitations.
The objective of this group is therefore highly relevant.
Indonesia believes that our collective response to address technology facilitated trafficking in person must be grounded inter aia on the principles of burden sharing and shared responsibility and strong national legal and institutional frameworks.
Allow me to share Indonesia's approach in addressing these issues.
First, our four main pillars are prevention, early detection, protection, and law enforcement.
The work of this group speaks directly to the first two prevention and early detections, where technology has become decisive, both as a tool exploited by traffickers and as a means to disrupt them.
On protection, Indonesia underscores the importance of a victim centered approach, which also includes rehabilitation and reintegration programs to support victims of trafficking and restore their dignity and livelihood.
It is concerning that the majority of victims is the most productive element of our community, our youth.
On law enforcement, Indonesia is intensifying efforts to detect, investigate, and prosecute the syndicates behind these crimes, including those operating online scam centers across the region.
Our authorities continue to pursue and dismantle these networks, prevent new victims at home, and repatriate nationals exploited abroad, having handled more than 3,000 such case to date.
Second, we also emphasize concrete cooperations from end to end.
This includes capacity building and technology transfer so that all member states have sufficient capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to this crime.
Furthermore, we stress the principles of burden sharing and shared responsibility and the need to strengthen cooperation between countries of origin, transit, and destinations, while at the same time addressing the root causes of irregular migrations.
We also stressed the importance of partnerships with the private sector and other stakeholders, given their critical role in the digital ecosystems.
Third, Indonesia remains committed to active participation in regional and international forum.
At the regional level, Indonesia has also continued to advance Asean cooperations, including through the implementations of the Asean conventions against trafficking in persons, especially women and children and its plan of actions, as well as through information sharing and capacity building among member states.
As co chair of the ballot process and on people smugling trafficking in person and related transnational crimes, we continue to closely monitor regional development and encourage the ballot process to remain agile and responsive.
Including in combating the misuse of technology and online scams and in raising awareness to prevent trafficking in persons.
Indonesia stands ready to contribute actively to this group of friends and to work with all partners toward practical action oriented solutions.
Thank you, Madam Chair.
I thank the ambassador of Indonesia for his statement.
Now it's my pleasure to invite His Excellency Mr.
Shikuu Yu Misu, Deputy Permanent representative of Japan.
Ambassador, you have the floor.
Thank you, Madam moderator.
At the outset, on behalf of the government of Japan, I'd like to thank IMC Ambassador chair and permanent mission the Republic of Korea for launching this invaluable initiative.
I'm also pleased to welcome new executive director of Madam Juma to this important event.
Today, it is widely evident that technological advancements have enabled criminal organizations to execute crimes with greater sophistication, severely undermining individual rights, human rights, and further exacerbating need.
Egregious transnational crime or trafficking in persons.
In conjunction with trafficking in persons, criminal organizations also commit other cross border offenses such as fraud leading to global harm.
Given the current situation surrounding trafficking in persons, Japan recognizes the timely initiative presented by the group of friends to tackle this dire crime.
It cannot be overstated that international cooperation is essential to effectively address and eradicate trafficking in persons and other forms of transnational organized crime.
Particularly, the group's objectives of enhancing dialogue, exchanging information, and best practices, and strengthening collective action are key to promoting international collaboration to eradicate trafficking in persons.
For its part, Japan promotes international cooperation with an emphasis on capacity building through the Japanese International Cooperation Agency, Japan has held capacity building program for government officials and victim assistance projects within the Meccon River region.
Additionally, Japan continues to work closely with key international organizations such as UNODC in providing support to strengthen the response capabilities of partner countries, especially in Southeast Asia.
We remain committed to supporting and facilitating cross border international measures against trafficking persons.
Japan deeply resonate with the objectives and planned activities of the group and recognize their importance, which has led us to join as a founding member.
We believe the group's activities and insights shared will make a greater contributions not only for Japan, but also for other members to eradicating trafficking in persons.
As a founding member, Japan resolved to collaborate with other members and relevant UN agencies to ensure the group's objectives are achieved.
I thank you.
I thank the Ambassador of Japan for his statement.
Now it's my pleasure to give the floor to His Excellency, His Excellency, Mr.
Yabsh Red Mori, Deputy Permanent Representative of Kenya.
Ambassador, you have the floor.
Thank you, moderator, Excellency, distinct colleagues.
Kenya welcomes the establishment of the group of friends on combating technology facilitated trafficking in persons and thanks the Republic of Korea for its leadership in this initiative.
This initiative is timely and a necessary response to the evolving nature of trafficking networks.
We also thank Ambassador Monica Juma, Executive Director of UNODC for the insights.
Kenya's position is firmly anchored in our obligations under the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime and it is Trafficking in Persons Protocol Rt Fit in 2005, as well as in our National Counter Trafficking in Persons Act of 2010.
These frameworks have been operationalized through our national plan of action to combat trafficking in persons 2022, 2027, structured around four periods of prevention, protection, prosecution, and partnership.
Building on this foundation, Kenya continues to strengthen its broader cybercrime framework, including through the computer misuse and the Cybercrime Act of 2018 and to keep pace with the digital dimensions of trafficking.
Guided by this commitment, Kenya is adapting its response to technology driven risks by strengthening survivor centered protection, operationalizing the national VAR mechanisms, and expanding accessible online reporting and the call center platform to ensure timely access to assistance.
Kenya is also enhancing oversight of labor recruitment systems, including digital job platforms and tackling deceptive online recruitment practices linked to trafficking, particularly along labor migration corridors.
We are reinforcing investigative and prosecutorial capacity through specialized anti trafficking units within the National Police Service, the Director of Criminal Investigation, and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution.
At the regional and international levels, Kenya continues to engage through the African Union, EGOT, ESC, and the other multilateral platforms to strengthen cross border cooperation, information sharing, and joint responses to trafficking trends, including those facilitated by technology.
Within this group of friends, we see particular value in exchanging operational on online investigation, developing safe and accessible reporting channels for victims and whistleblowers, identifying safeguards so that cybercrime messages do not unduly restricted freedom of expression or privacy.
In conclusion, Kenya stands ready to work with all partners in this group of friends to ensure that our corrective response to technology facilitated trafficking in persons is coordinated, victim centered, and firmly grounded in international human rights law.
I thank you.
Thank you very much, Ambassador, for your statement.
Now it's my pleasure to give the floor to His Excellency, Mr.
Dan Ingu representative on the Exo of the United States.
Ambassador, you have the floor.
Thank you.
Thank you.
On behalf of Ambassador Negrea the United States, I'd like to thank the Republic of Korea for taking the initiative to launch this group, as well as miss Juma for her remarks and joining us today.
This group brings attention to a persistent, devastating, and horrifying crime that exploits the most vulnerable, enriches transnational criminal organizations, and undermines national security and prosperity for all.
The group provides an opportunity to press for increased transnational cooperation on the crime of human trafficking and to engage in needed discussion on how criminals misuse technology to conduct their crimes, in particularly in the rapidly expanding digital technology space.
The United States is committed to holding countries accountable for taking decisive action against human trafficking and perpetrators of this crime, and we ask this group of friends to commit to do the same.
Criminal misuse of technology for trafficking represents an evolving threat that demands coordinated international action.
We need, for example, enhanced international information sharing and law enforcement coordination to combat the cross border human trafficking fueling online scam operations, crimes that have defrauded Americans of billions of dollars.
Governments must ensure trafficking victims are offered services and that they are not inappropriately penalized for unlawful acts traffickers force them to commit.
Such a victim centered approach also supports law enforcement efforts to combat the criminal misuse of technology facilitated trafficking by encouraging victim cooperation with authorities.
We cannot address trafficking without the engagement of nations where these crimes originate are more prevalent or whose victims are exploited.
These nations active participation in this group of friends is essential to understanding the full scope of the problem and implementing effective countermeasures.
Solutions must involve these nations.
We underscore that Vienna remains the primary venue for treaty based dialogue and promoting international cooperation against drugs and crime.
Anything this group discusses should ultimately feed into that process and not take any decision making that lies within the authority of appropriate bodies in Vienna.
The challenge is not creating new frameworks, but ensuring countries take strong action to actively implement their existing commitments.
The group of friends must focus on practical action and accountability mechanisms to translate commitments into results.
Thank you again to the Republic of Korea for taking the initiative on this critical issue.
We look forward to making progress together.
I thank Ambassador Ingriel for this statement.
Meanwhile, I would also like to thank miss ara Fernwch, Deputy representative to UN Ex of US for delivering this statement.
Thank you.
Now it's my pleasure to give the floor to His Excellency, Mr.
ArchibdYg, acting deputy permanent representative of the United Kingdom.
Ambassador, you have the floor.
Thank you very much.
The UK is pleased to join this group of friends and we welcome the leadership of the Republic of Korea, both in convening this very valuable discussion this afternoon but also for spotlighting this critical issue that too often operates in the shadows.
The scourge of trafficking in persons is, of course, sadly, not new, but it is changing with digital technologies accelerating that evolution.
As set out in the concept notes and as articulated by many colleagues here today, Traffickers are increasingly exploiting online platforms and emerging technologies to recruit victims, control, and exploit them, to coordinate operations, and to conceal criminal proceeds.
This has transformed both the scale and the reach of trafficking.
Criminal networks can now operate across borders with greater speed, efficiency, and anonymity, making it harder to detect, investigate, and disrupt their activities.
The result is a growing and more complex threat that disproportionately affects the most vulnerable.
Now, addressing this challenge requires stronger international cooperation and a response that keeps pace with how this crime is evolving.
That means strengthening law enforcement capabilities, working more closely with the private sector and technology companies, and ensuring that our efforts remain grounded in human rights and focused on protecting victims.
That response must be coherent.
This group of friends can play a critical role sharing best practice, strengthening cooperation, and in particular, connecting the political engagement here in New York with the technical and operational work in Vienna, including with the UNODC and regional programs.
The United Kingdom is committed to playing its part.
Cyberscam centers pose major security and human rights risks worldwide, impacting thousands, including those in the UK.
We have taken action against trafficking linked criminal networks through coordinated sanctions, alongside law enforcement cooperation and international engagement.
We are also supporting programs in Southeast Asia to do a number of things, including raise awareness of scam center trafficking, to strengthen victim support, and to build law enforcement capacity.
Colleagues, Chair, thank you again for bringing us together today.
Thank you for spotlighting this issue.
We will and we must continue to adapt our response to match the scale and the pace of this threat.
Thank you very much.
I thank Ambassador of UK, United Kingdom for his statement.
Now it's also my pleasure to give the floor to Mr.
Claudio Sewell, now the deputy permanent representative of Lektistan.
Ambassador, you have the floor.
Thank you so much for the floor, Madam Moderator, and we wish to first and foremost, commend Korea for their leadership in setting up this group of friends.
It was very clear for us from the beginning that we have to join this initiative.
As my colleagues already mentioned, this initiative is both timely and necessary.
The challenge it seeks to address remains as urgent as ever, and we are confronting a form of criminality that continues to be low risk, high profit.
Modern slavery and human trafficking are among the top predicate defenses to money laundering, generating $236 billion in illegal profits each year.
Given today's scale of technology facilitate the trafficking in person, this figure is higher, to be precise, at least 37 billion USD higher as we learned from ID Duma.
Lichtenstein has been a long standing and committed supporter of the fight against modern slavery and human trafficking, particularly by championing the follow the money approach.
Concretely, we have established a multi stakeholder initiative, the Finance against slavery and Trafficking Initiative, in short, FAST.
FAST is hosted by the UNDP Sustainable Finance Hub, and it has developed practically tools for the financial sector to address illicit financial flows derived from modern slavery and human trafficking.
FAST has already delivered results on scale.
Established anti slavery investor coalitions representing 27 trillion USD in assets under management and it has trained over 55,000 compliance specialists.
We're also proud that FAS continues to deliver impact on the ground from Western Vkanes to Southeast Asia and Africa.
Recently, FAST has published a report, the Business Case for action.
This report identifies an annual investment gap of 36 billion USD if we are to properly address model slavery and human trafficking.
We would also like to highlight the important contributions of regional actors, in particular the OIC and the Council of Europe.
Their expertise greatly strengthens the common effort to fight model slavery and human trafficking and we will bring their insights into the work of this group too.
Lichtenstein stands ready to work with all partners in this group and to share its expertise to combat technology facilitated trafficking.
I thank you so much.
I thank Deputy Permanent representative for his statement.
I'm now pleased to give the floor to distinguished delegate of Mr.
Gabrila Agudas from the permanent Mission of Costa Rica.
Mr.
Agudas, you have the floor.
Thank you, Madam Mdator.
Costa Rica commends the Republic of Korea and all member states that have made possible the creation of the group of friends for combating technology facilitated trafficking in persons.
The group has a solid foundation, the 2025 Political Declaration on the implementation of the UN's global plan of action to combat trafficking in persons, and the cross regional joint statement from the plans review last November.
Trafficking in persons gravely violates human dignity.
Today it operates with new efficiencies and even greater opacity.
Criminal networks recruit through digital platforms, move illicit proceeds in cryptocurrency, and use artificial intelligence to expand their reach.
Costa Rica, I would like to highlight three comments on good practices.
First, the response must always be human centered and comprehensive.
First, the technology must not become a new form of victimization.
Member states must protect the safety, privacy, identity, and dignity of victims and survivors, including help to remove abusive content and protection against digital surveillance.
We must also strengthen prevention for women, girls, boys, and adolescents.
Through ConT, the National Coalition Against Migrant smuggling and trafficking in persons, Costa Rica has built prevention of online abuse into its training and awareness processes and has initiated actions to identify modalities of digital recruitment and solicitation.
Second, technology platforms must be part of the solution.
We need stronger cooperation with the private sector to detect and remove traffic content, enable reporting, improve age verification, and assume clear responsibilities.
Costa Rica has made progress in the use of demographic, territorial, and operational data, including victim and perpetrator profiles and threats such as AI driven recruitment.
Third, criminal justice has to keep pace with the digital environment.
Law enforcement, the judiciary, and migration authorities need stronger capacity to investigate technology facilitated cases, preserve electronic evidence, trace illicit financial flows, and cooperate swiftly across jurisdictions.
The governance of artificial intelligence must rest on human rights, transparency, accountability, and inclusion.
That conviction guided our co facilitation of the resolution establishing the global dialogue on AI governance and the independent Scientific panel on AI.
This group can turn that vision into practice by sharing experience, building capacity, and drawing the public and private sectors together so that technology serves to prevent, detect, protect, and deliver justice.
And finally, our common goal is clear that threats from emerging technologies must meet a coordinated effective response centered on human dignity.
I thank you.
I thank Mr.
Aldas for his statement.
We will now move to the next segment of the program and proceed with additional interventions from other member states as inscribed on the list of speakers.
I'm so impressed by the high number of speakers, which really reflects a strong commitment to joint efforts to prevent and combat this kind of crime.
But unfortunately, in the interest time, I can invite all speakers to limit their interventions to 2 minutes.
I'm now honored to give the floor to His Excellency, Ibrahim Alaba, permanent representative of Syria.
Ambassador, you have the floor.
Thank you, Madam moderator.
It is a big honor for Syria to be participating in this group of friends today, and we thank the Republic of Korea for taking the initiative.
It's a proud moment for Syria to be joining initiatives launched by the Republic of Korea, a moment that would not have been imaginable just several months ago under the former era.
We're also very proud to be working alongside UNODC in Vienna and in other locations as Syria is emerging from conflict.
Colleagues, as many of you will be aware, Syria and the Syrian people have fell victim to the horrific crimes during the Assad era by the Assad regime and other warlords who took advantage of the lack of stability and security and who profited off the suffering of Syrians.
The issue of human trafficking in persons were amongst these crimes to Syrians who thought they're speaking to people who would help them get to refuge.
These heinous acts will forever be engraved in the memory of the Syrian people, and we are determined to bring the perpetrators of these crimes to justice, whether through the traditional justice mechanisms or through ordinary crimes.
In the new era of Syria, we recognize that online platforms and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, have made combating trafficking in persons more complex, especially that this grave crime against humanity and human rights is often compounded by conflict, economic hardship, and instability.
We in the new Syria have inherited from the previous era a deeply broken system marked by a widespread corruption and severely damaged institutions.
Despite these significant challenges and the heavy legacy, we have undertaken incredible efforts to enhance the legal and regulatory frameworks to combat trafficking in persons and other transnational organized crimes.
This has already been evident since the 8th of December 2024 in the last 16, 17 months with our collaboration with you on ODC on the combating of ptagon a drug that was solicited and sanctioned by the former regime, which we've now reduced to a record low and our collaboration against the fight against ISIS, including with partners such as the United States by Syria joining the coalition against ISIS.
In this context, we welcome the initiative to establish the group of friends, which we can see that can serve as a valuable platform for fostering dialogue and collaboration, as well as facilitating the exchange of experiences and lessons learned.
With all that in mind and in line with Syria's commitment to strengthening international coordination to combat trafficking in persons, and given our sensitive geographic positions at the crossroads of international routes, I'm pleased to announce the decision of the Syrian government to join the group of friends.
Finally, Mr.
Chair, I want to reiterate our gratefulness for you hosting this first meeting of the group and also congratulate you on your first win of the World Cup yesterday and wish you the success in both endeavors.
Thank you.
Thank you, Ambassador, for your statement and also congratulations on joining the group of friends.
I'm now give the floor to His Excellency, Mr.
Roberto Apu Espinoza, permanent representative of Chile.
Ambassador, you have the floor.
Thank you very much, Madam Moderator.
Excellencies, Chile wishes to thank the Republic of Korea for its leadership and an initiative that responds to an urgent need.
Excellence is.
Latin America is one of the regions most affected by trafficking in persons as a region of origin, transit, and destination.
The technological dimension of this crime is an everyday reality.
Criminal networks recruit victims through digital platforms using fraudulent job offers, control them through digital surveillance, and move their illicit proceeds through financial systems and transcend any border.
Chile is no exception.
However, while technology has facilitated trafficking in persons, it has also provided us with important tools to detect and disrupt it.
Making strategic use of these tools, we are now better able to identify criminal networks and strengthen criminal prosecution.
Since 2011, Chile has developed Chile has developed a system that is able to deceive the work against groups that are working and acepting job offers, coordination of movements, publication of services, control of victims, digital payments, and the generation of electronic evidence.
Our experience also highlights recurrent patterns and threats exercised by criminal organizations.
Likewise, Chilean case law has developed criteria to define the means employed and purposes of exploitation relying on international instruments such as the Palermo Protocol, ILO conventions, and tools developed by UNODC.
In recent years, Chile has faced mixed immigration flows of unprecedented magnitude, which have been exploited by trafficking networks.
We have seen how these networks operate from abroad.
For this reason, just two weeks ago, Madam Chile convened in Santiago, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Security of Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru to adopt the Santiago regional commitment against transnational organized crime.
We mandated the creation of a working group with a joint regional action plan and measurable outcomes.
That effort and this group, de la France, are moving in the same direction and Chile wishes to serve as a bridge between them.
Based on this experience, Chile is interested in joining this group and hopes to contribute with a perspective of a region that knows this issue firsthand while promoting broader Latin American participation in this initiative.
Thank you very much, Mercy Bu.
I thank the ambassador of Chile for his statement.
Now it's my pleasure to give the floor to His Excellency, Mr.
Philippe Tal Kinney Kinney permanent representative of Fiji.
Ambassador, you have the floor.
Sorry, Madam, we've already informed Secretary that we will not be taking the floor anymore.
I apologize.
Now it's my pleasure to give the floor to Ambassador His Excellency, Mr.
Andrés Wo Uniqu Deputy permanent representative of Sweden.
Ambassador, you have the floor.
Thank you, Madam Moderator, and I will assure you all that we will be able to watch the other games this week and so I will keep it very short and talk about the world cup of the football.
We appreciate to be able to speak here at the launch of the group of friends and how we can tackle human traffickers using digital technologies.
To dismantle the business models of the criminal cross border networks, we believe that we could need to do five things.
First thing, we need to improve our information sharing.
Secondly, we need to accelerate judicial cooperation.
Thirdly, we need to expand financial investigations and fourth, we need to maintain a focus on corruption as a key enabler of this dreadful business.
Finally, fifth, we need to harness the digital advancements in our own efforts in this important work.
These countermeasures must evolve globally and uniform.
We believe that UNODC training materials, policies, and manuals are a very good backbone for the work, but they need to be updated.
Some of them are 15-years-old and for that we need more finance from member states.
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much, Ambassador, for your statement.
Now it's my pleasure to give the floor to Her Excellency, miss Leonard Tasse Pu Kip Luu Klunne, Deputy permanent representative of Tango.
Ambassador, you have the floor.
It seems there is no speakers to take the floor, so I will move to next speaker.
So now it's my pleasure to give the floor to His Excellency, Mr.
La Ashene Shan No, Deputy Permanent Representative of Colombia.
Ambassador, you have the floor.
Thank you, Madam moderator.
Colombia welcomes the sales of this group and wants to congratulate the Republic of Korea for bringing attention to this very important issue.
Just to be brief and not to take a lot of time, we think that the new trends of this grave problem such as the recruitment, deceivement, transport, control, and exploit of victims through job offers, anonymous online interactions and increasingly sophisticated technological tools demands a lot of action from us.
And one of them is to not act in isolation.
Transnational organized crime networks have become key drivers of this crime, often linking trafficking activities with money laundering, cyber enabled crime, and other illicit economies.
This requires repulses that are equally interconnected, including not acting in silos between Vienna and New York.
We must act together.
Colombia believes that the innovation must be a part of the solution also.
Emerging technologies, although are being used by criminal activities, can also be an labor of joint efforts.
Colombia wishes to underline the importance of targeting the financial gains generated by trafficking networks also, and it stand ready to join this group in order to contribute.
Thank you.
Thank you very much, Ambassador, for your statement.
Now on my list of speakers under this segment, there will be four speakers.
Now it's my pleasure to give the floor to distinguished delegate of Panama.
I hear silence.
Thank you, Madam Moderator.
Panama extends its organization to the Republic of Korea.
You notice C adding members of the group of friends for convening this important dialogue.
When we speak about technology facilitated trafficking in persons, we are not merely speaking about statistics, algorithms, or the detail platforms used by criminal networks.
We're speaking about the real impact of human life.
We're speaking about a gear deceived through social media and woman subjected to exploitation under a false promise of employment or a child whose vulnerability is exploded for illicit profit.
Behind every case is a person whose fundamental rights have been violated and whose dignity has been placed as a risk.
Trafficking in persons is a grieve violation of human rights and continues to disproportionately affect women, girls, boys, and persons in vulnerable situations.
Today, the logs and artificial intelligence offers enormous benefits to our societies, yet they are also being exploited by criminal organizations to recruit, control, and exploit victims with unprecedented speed and reach.
Panama has made progress in institutional coordination, the training of public officials, public awareness raising efforts, and cooperation with international organizations, civil society, and strategic partners.
However, we're truly aware that no state can address this phenomenon alone.
We must redouble our efforts to protect children, adolescents in digital space.
We need to coordinate innovative and evidence based response, but also response to remain deeply human.
Because behind every victim, there is a story that deserves protection, a voice that must be here and a life that deserve to be rebuilt.
May our collective commitment to be as strong as the determination of those who seek to survive and regain their freedom.
Thank you so much.
I thank Distinguished delegate from Panama for her statement.
Now it's my pleasure to give the floor to distinguished delegate Kistan I see.
Thank you, Madam moderator.
Excellencies, distinguished colleagues.
Kaag welcomes the launch of the group of friends for combating technology facilitated trafficking in persons and expresses its appreciation to the Republic of Korea and all partners supporting this time initiative.
Digital technologies have created unprecedented opportunities for development and connectivity.
At the same time, criminal networks increasingly misuse online platforms, social media, encrypted communications, and digital payment systems to recruit, deceive, control, and exploited victims.
Technology facilitated trafficking in persons is a transnational and rapidly evolving challenge.
It requires equally dynamic, coordinated and technology informed responses.
Kazakhstan attaches particular importance to strengthening international cooperation, improving information exchange, and enhancing the capacity of law enforcement, border immigration, and financial intelligence authorities.
We also recognize the critical role of technology companies, financial institutions, and civil society suspicious activity, preventing online recruitment and assisting victims.
Our response must remain firmly victim centered and human rights based.
Special attention should be given to children, women, immigrants, and other persons in vulnerable situations.
Victims must treat it with dignity and provided with effective protection, rehabilitation, and access to justice.
Kazakhstan believes that this group of friends can serve as a valuable platform for sharing good practices, promoting practical cooperation, and supporting the implementation of the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime and its protocol on trafficking in persons ratified by my country in 2008.
We also encourage closer coordination among relevant United Nations entities, including UNODC as well as stronger regional and cross regional partnerships.
Kazakhstan stands ready to collective efforts aimed at ensuring that technology serves people and development rather than exploitation and crime.
I thank you.
I thank the distinguished delegate of Kazakhstan for his statement.
It's my pleasure now to give the floor to the distinguished delegate of Russian Federation.
Thank you, Madam Moderator.
Trafficking in persons is a serious crime and a flagrant violation of human rights that treats human beings as commodities for profit.
It fuels organized crime, ruins human dignity and perpetuates suffering of those in vulnerable situations.
It is a plague that needs to be eradicated and it can only be done by a collective and decisive action of the global community.
In this regard, the guiding role of the UN in coordinating international efforts to combat trafficking should be duly recognized.
We welcome the work done by UNODC and hope that they keep their focus on this issue.
Russia also commends the crucial work of the Group of Friends Against Trafficking in persons chaired by Belarus and its invaluable contribution to galvanizing international actions on this matter.
Russia also has the honor of being among the traditional co sponsors of the biannual resolution of the General Assembly introduced by Belarus and entitled Improving the Coordination of Efforts Against Trafficking in Persons, which inter Alea gave the mandate for the work of the Interagency Coordination Group against trafficking in persons and for the development of the UN Global plan of action to combat trafficking in persons.
Undeniably, in terms of change and rapid technological transformation, the international community needs to adapt.
The latest report shows tremendous growth in the use of digital technologies by organized crime groups for the purposes of human trafficking.
Elaborate online camps with the use of AI, lack of data protection, and in most cases, impossibility of immediate application of countermeasures are among the key obstacles to protect people from becoming victims of trafficking.
Russia is proud to be the proponent of the United Nations Convention Against Cybercrime, a landmark international treaty aimed at preventing countering the use of information and communications technologies for criminal purposes, and harmonizing global level responses to high tech threats.
However, we must admit that the propriatory process was not easy and the difference of positions still remain in several spheres.
In terms of technology facilitated trafficking in persons, it is our view that more focused cooperations with member states is needed as long as it's established with due regard to national priorities and upon request of member states with respect to their national sovereignty.
This should also include the broader cooperation of law enforcement agencies, migration agencies, border services, and AI and ICT companies, which can be achieved through expert discussion, information exchange, and gathering of best practices to fight human trafficking at all levels.
Madam Moderator, we see the newly established group of friends for combating technology facilitated trafficking in persons as a focused addition to the overall work done by the UN, including in the framework of the group of friends against trafficking in persons.
We therefore sincerely hope that the two group of friends will not compete but complement each other's work.
We urge the chairs and the relevant stakeholders to come together to devise effective responsive measures in order to protect humanity against the scourge of human trafficking, including its emerging challenges to digital sphere.
I thank you.
I thank the distinguished delegate of Russian Federation.
Now it's my pleasure to give the floor to the distinguished delegate of Belarus.
Tobin, Distinguished colleagues, I would like to make a statement in a national capacity.
As you all know, combating trafficking in persons is one of the Republic of Belarus key priorities on the international arena.
Our state initiated the creation of the Interagency Coordination Group against trafficking in persons, ICT, the United Nations Global Plan of action to combat trafficking in persons, and the group of friends united against human trafficking.
Belarus drafts UN instruments addressing various aspects of trafficking in persons, including those related to technological development on an ongoing basis.
In particular, Commission of the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, CCPCJ resolution 27 slash two entitled Prevention and Combating Trafficking in Person facilitated by the Criminal Misuse of Information and Communication Technologies, adopted in 2018.
Resolution 27 slash three, improving the Protection of children against trafficking in persons, including by addressing the criminal misuse of information and communication technologies adopted in 2018.
UN General Assembly resolution enitedmpving Coordination of efforts against trafficking in Persons, which have emphasized this issue since 2017.
The aforementioned information provide a historical overview of Belarus efforts in this area.
However, we can also highlight some of the cutting edge initiatives adapted to the rapidly changing realities of the modern world.
Apart from various events and meetings, special mention shall be made to our close cooperation with the UNODC and Interpol to the adoption in 2024 at the initiative of Belarus, the CCPCJA resolution 33 slash one entitled entitled Countering Trafficking in Person in the Context of Rapid Technological Change.
In 2025, the UGA Resolution 80 slash 228 entitled Improving the Coordination of Efforts Against Trafficking in persons at the initiative of Belarus modified with an innovative component that examines the impact and role of artificial intelligence in human trafficking in addition to the existing technological aspect.
In this regard, as the coordinator of the group of Friends United against human trafficking, which has been operating within YN since 2010, we welcome the Republic of Korea's intention to join the movement against trafficking in persons.
At the same time, I would like to clarify and receive answers to the following questions.
First, whether the group of friends for combating technology facilitated trafficking in persons to be established under the ages of the Republic of Korea will address human trafficking issues in the absence of technological component and what extent of such component is sufficient to be covered by the mandate of the new group.
Second, whether the group has any restrictions for selecting participants and what criteria the organizers have established for inviting states to participate in the group.
These questions arose because Belarus did not receive an invitation to participate either in the group or in today's event.
In conclusion, we would like to reaffirm our commitment to combat trafficking in persons, including technology facilitated.
We hope that the newly established group will contribute to the fight against human trafficking and we look forward to constructive cooperation from all stakeholders.
I thank you.
I thank the distinguished delegate of Belarus for his statement.
Yeah.
So I thank all member states for their not only insightful but also inspiring interventions.
So we appreciate it very much, and also we could see that it's a reflection of the strong commitment to joint efforts to prevent and compact this kind of this type of crime.
And also, I would like to also mention or share the information that the UN system and relevant international organizations have always been joint efforts to work together with member states and to also support member states in this regard.
In 2007, The interagency coordination group against trafficking in persons was established, coordinated by UNODC pursuant to United Nations General Assembly resolution.
This policy forum brings together more than 30 UN entities and international organizations to strengthen coordination and promote a comprehensive human rights based approach to trafficking in persons.
So now I would like to also invite my colleague, miss Katherine Coco, senior Child Protection Specialist at UNICEF, speaking on behalf of the interagency coordination group against the trafficking persons to deliver the closing remarks.
Miss Coco, you have the floor.
Thank you.
Excellency, distinguished speakers and participants on behalf of UNICEF and the Organization of American States, who are co chairing the Interagency Coordination group against trafficking in persons this year, I would like to thank the Republic of Korea and UNODC and all members who have contributed to today's discussion and to the establishment of this important group of friends.
Today's discussion has reinforced a clear message Trafficking in person is evolving rapidly in the digital age and our responses must evolve just as rapidly.
As we have heard throughout the discussions, trafficking in persons continues to evolve alongside technological change.
Digital platforms, online services, artificial intelligence, encrypted communications, and digital financial tools are increasingly being misused by traffickers to recruit, exploit, and control victims, move around the proceeds of their crime, and expand operations across borders.
All in an environment of anonymity that makes detection, investigation and prosecution extremely difficult.
At the same time, technology can and must be harnessed to strengthen prevention, support investigations, improve identification, expand access to services, and enhance collaboration across sectors.
Today's discussion highlighted several important messages.
First, member states remain at the center of the response.
The launch of this group of friends is a welcome demonstration of leadership, commitment, and determination to work together.
Second, technology facilitated trafficking is largely a transnational challenge that no country can address alone, and our responses cannot remain siloed.
Criminal networks operate across jurisdiction, exploit regulatory gaps, and adapt quickly to new technologies.
Effective responses, therefore, require stronger international cooperation, information sharing, mutual legal assistance, and coordinated action within and across borders.
They also require closer collaboration between governments, international organizations, civil society, academia, survivors leaders, and the private sector.
Technology companies in particular have a critical responsibility to strengthen safeguards, adopt safety by design and safety by default approaches, improve detection and reporting mechanism, and respect human rights.
Third, the discussion reinforced the criticality of victim protection and human rights.
As states strengthen digital investigation and enforcement capacities, we must ensure that victims are not criminalized, misidentified, or exposed to further harm, as many of you mentioned today.
For UNICEF, this is particularly important in relation to children.
Children who account for one third of all identified trafficking victims are increasingly exposed to risks of online grooming, sexual exploitation, and other forms of abuse facilitated by digital technologies.
Children are already facing serious harms accelerated by artificial intelligence and protection systems, legislation, and services have yet to catch up.
As we develop responses to technology facilitated trafficking, we must ensure that children and their rights are not an afterthought, but a central consideration in policy, prevention, protection, and accountability efforts.
This is precisely why forums such as the group of friends matter.
They create space for dialogue, exchange of experiences, identification of good practices, and stronger collective action.
They help ensure that efforts are not fragmented but are mutually reinforcing.
As ICT, we stand ready to support this work, bringing together entities with complimentary mandates and expertise.
ICT serves as a platform for coordination, knowledge sharing, and the promotion of coherent approaches to preventing and combating trafficking in persons.
Today's event is part of a broader effort and a larger conversation that requires continued dialogue, deeper analysis, and strengthened cooperation.
I'm pleased to announce that COD will soon launch a consultation with states, civil society, and the private sector through a webinar series on technology facilitated trafficking in persons.
The series will provide an opportunity to explore these issues in greater depth, including emerging trends, operational challenges, promising practicing, child protection implications, and the role of different stakeholders in addressing this issue.
We hope that many members of this group of friends will join these discussions as we continue to strengthen our shared understanding, inform policy and practices, and contribute to a more coordinated and effective response.
The launch of this group of friends is not the end of a conversation, is the beginning of a renewed collective effort.
I thank you.
I thank miss Koko for her insightful statement on behalf of ICT.
I recommend the Republic of Korea for its leadership in the creation of this group of friends.
So I would also like to give the floor to His Excellency, Mr.
Jin Hong Chan for a few words or remarks.
Ambassador, you have the floor.
S is the colleagues, the bean eaters the strong time.
I expected the end of the event will be within 1 hour, but with your active participation, we almost touched the 2 hours.
It means that we have very strong the willingness to dispose this emerging new crime.
The let me response to our colleague from Belarus and Russia.
We are not competing each other.
We welcome your participation and joining the GS global print.
I believe we circulated the invitations to all member states.
Again, this global print is open to all member state and any jurisdictions again.
And what we could confirm today is that our strong political will, and also we can confirm each countries already initiated its combating against these emerging crimes.
So what we want to do together is that work together in this multilateral level, that's our the goal and goal of this global brand.
Again, thank you very much and we must work together.
Thank you.
Thank you, Ambassador, for your further information and also guidance.
Excellency, distinguished delegates, dear colleagues.
Last but not least, I would also like to thank all of you for your close engagement, active participation, which also reflect a strong commitment to leverage technology to combat trafficking in persons.
So thank you all for your attention and for your participation.
Have a good weekend.
M&E
Meetings & Events
Launch of the Group of Friends for Combating Technology-facilitated Trafficking in Persons
The event untitled "A Connected World, A Coordinated Response: Preventing and combatting Technology‑Facilitated Trafficking in Persons" is organized by the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations.
Description
Recent developments show a significant and sustained rise in the misuse of digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, to facilitate trafficking in persons at every stage.
The event will highlight:
The central role of Member States in preventing and combating technology‑facilitated trafficking in persons, including through the active and full implementation of commitments under the UN Trafficking in Persons Protocol, the sharing of national experiences, good practices and challenges, and the strengthening of cooperation.
The significant and continued rise of technology‑facilitated trafficking in persons, the various forms of exploitation it enables, the stages at which technologies are misused, and the ways in which organized criminal networks leverage digital tools and cross‑border vulnerabilities.
The role of new technological solutions in enhancing detection, investigation and enforcement in cyberspace, and the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its Trafficking in Persons Protocol as well as the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime as frameworks for accessing and exchanging electronic evidence, facilitating investigations and prosecutions and strengthening international cooperation, including for the assistance and protection of trafficking victims.
The necessity of multilateral action to prevent and combat technology-facilitated trafficking in persons.
Trafficking in persons remains one of the most complex and persistent transnational crimes, undermining human dignity, exploiting the most vulnerable, and challenging the integrity of institutions and borders. It is not a static phenomenon, but an evolving crime in which traffickers continually adapt their methods to recruit, exploit and control victims; transfer the proceeds of their criminal activities; and evade law enforcement.
At the same time, the rapid expansion of modern digital technologies has transformed the global crime landscape. With two-thirds of the world's population online and much of the global economy dependent on digital infrastructure, cybercrime has grown into a thriving, highly profitable industry.
Within this environment, recent developments show a significant and sustained rise in the misuse of digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, to facilitate trafficking in persons at every stage. The Internet and digital platforms provide traffickers with numerous tools to recruit, control, and exploit victims; coordinate their transport and accommodation; and conceal criminal proceeds, with greater speed, efficiency, and anonymity and transcending geographical boundaries.
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