Trafficking in humans, as defined by the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, is "the recruitment, transportation, transfer or reception of humans by means of threats, force, kidnapping, deception, coercion, abuse of power and payment for the purpose of receiving money or privileges so that one person gains control over another person for subsequent exploitation".

Conventions against human trafficking

Human trafficking is a growing problem and a crime with devastating consequences involving multi-dimensional problems, encompassing aspects of migration, human rights, gender equality, and transnational organized crime. The United Nations has addressed the issue coordinating international responses to human trafficking by adopting instruments against various forms of transnational organized crime:

Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons

The Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others, adopted in 1949, was the first United Nations treaty against human trafficking.

Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

Article 8 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), adopted in 1966, and entered into force in 1976, prohibits all forms of slavery, slave-trade and compulsory labour. The Human Rights Committee is a body of independent experts that monitors its implementation.

Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women

The Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, adopted in 1979 supplements the Convention against Trafficking in Persons. Its monitoring body is the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, CEDAW.

Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention

The Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention was adopted by the International Labour Organization in 1999 as Convention no 182.

Convention against Transnational Organized Crime

The United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime from 2003, is the first legally binding United Nations treaty to fight organized crime and, as such, it is a powerful global instrument.

Three Special Rapporteurs

In the 90s and the 00s, three Special Rapporteurs were appointed by the Commission on Human Rights to examine, monitor and report on human trafficking worldwide. Today the Special Rapporteurs presents their annual reports to the Human Rights Council:

• Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children.
• Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences.
• Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children.

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has also established several programs and projects to support Member States in their efforts to combat trafficking in human beings.

More on UN and human trafficking

• Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights, Human Rights Bodies provides full text conventions, declarations and reports.
• OHCHR. Slavery and trafficking.
• International standards. An overview of the United Nations instruments against human trafficking.
• United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNDOC):
  • UNODC on human trafficking and migrant smuggling provides information on projects and programs against trafficking and documents and reports.
  • UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime
  • Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children.
  • Case Law Database information on victims' and perpetrators' nationalities, trafficking routes, verdicts and other documents related to prosecuted cases from across the world. Access to details of real cases with examples of how the respective national laws in place can be used to prosecute human trafficking.
• NORMLEX ILO conventions.