New videos by UN anti-crime agency spotlight problem of human trafficking

With nearly 1 million people being illegally moved across borders each year, the United Nations anti-crime agency has teamed with its partners in more than 40 countries to produce customized versions of its latest video spots to raise awareness of the worldwide problem of human trafficking.

The latest videos by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) target countries and victims at the end of the trafficking route, and include a local telephone number where victims can receive assistance and concerned citizens can find out what they can do to help.

Previous campaign materials were designed to raise awareness about the issue by focusing on the trafficking of women for sexual exploitation and on the trafficking of men, women and children for bonded and forced labour.

According to reports from the United Nations and the United States Department of State, human trafficking is a growing global phenomenon, with 800,000 to 900,000 people moved across international borders annually. The UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, which supplements a UN treaty against transnational organized crime, promotes international cooperation to prevent and fight trafficking.

The UN Protocol calls on countries to protect and assist victims in legal proceedings and provide social assistance in areas such as counselling, housing, education and health care. In addition, the pact points to the need to improve the social conditions that lead to human trafficking and to raise awareness about the issue through public information, such as UNODC's television campaign.