July 30 has been designated by the United Nations as the "World Day against Trafficking in Persons". In 2013, the UN General Assembly adopted resolution A/RES/68/192 designated July 30 as the World Day against Trafficking in Persons and declared that such a day was necessary to "raise awareness of the situation of victims of human trafficking and for the promotion and protection of their rights." Background Human trafficking continues to be a global threat driven by organized crime. More and more victims are being trafficked every year, across greater distances, with greater violence, for longer periods of time and for greater profit. From 2020 to 2023, there were more than 200,000 detected victims globally, which is just the tip of the iceberg. The actual number of unreported cases is believed to be significantly higher. Every country in the world is affected by human trafficking, whether as a country of origin, transit, or destination for victims. Traffickers the world over continue to target women and girls. The vast majority of detected victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation and 35 per cent of those trafficked for forced labour are female. Conflict further exacerbates vulnerabilities, with armed groups exploiting civilians and traffickers targeting forcibly displaced people. Global action against Human trafficking In 2010, the General Assembly adopted the Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons, urging Governments worldwide to take coordinated and consistent measures to defeat this scourge. The Plan calls for integrating the fight against human trafficking into the UN’s broader programmes in order to boost development and strengthen security worldwide. One of the crucial provisions in the Plan is the establishment of a UN Voluntary Trust Fund for victims of trafficking, especially women and children. The Trust Fund facilitates effective, on-the-ground assistance and protection to victims of trafficking, through grants to specialized NGOs. In the coming years, it aims to prioritize victims coming from a context of armed conflict and those identified among large refugee and migration flows. It will also focus its assistance to victims trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation, organ removal, forced begging, forced criminality and emerging exploitative purposes (e.g. skin removal, online pornography). In September 2015, the world adopted the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and embraced goals and targets on trafficking in persons. These goals call for an end to trafficking and violence against children; as well as the need for measures against human trafficking, and they strive for the elimination of all forms of violence against and exploitation of women and girls. Another important development is the UN Summit for Refugees and Migrants, which produced the groundbreaking New York Declaration. Of the nineteen commitments adopted by countries in the Declaration, three are dedicated to concrete action against the crimes of human trafficking and migrant smuggling. Theme for 2026 - Trapped behind the scam The 2026 World Day Against Trafficking in Persons theme, "Trapped Behind the Scam," draws attention to a rapidly expanding form of human trafficking in which transnational organized crime groups exploit people to carry out industrial-scale financial fraud. Victims are trafficked for forced criminality and compelled to participate in online scam operations. This form of exploitation is closely linked to cybercrime, financial fraud, money laundering, and corruption, demonstrating the increasingly interconnected nature of organized crime. How victims become trapped Traffickers often recruit victims through fake job advertisements that promise legitimate employment opportunities abroad. Believing they are accepting genuine work, victims travel to another country only to find themselves confined in illegal scam compounds. Within these compounds, victims are forced to conduct cyber-enabled fraud, including romance scams, cryptocurrency fraud, and other online schemes targeting people around the world. They are kept under constant surveillance and subjected to violence, threats, debt bondage, and demanding work quotas, leaving them trapped in conditions of fear with little opportunity to escape. Did you know? 74% of traffickers operate within organized crime groups. In 2022, victims from 162 nationalities were trafficked to 128 different countries. About 70% of those investigated, prosecuted and convicted for trafficking in 2022 were men. African victims were the most widely trafficked group. They accounted for 31% of cross-border trafficking flows. Source : United Nations Related resources Global Report on Trafficking in Persons Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons Especially Women and Children A/RES/68/192 Improving the coordination of efforts against trafficking in persons United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime