GENEVA (28 July 2023) – Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals is essential to effective prevention of trafficking in persons, especially of children, a UN expert said today. On the occasion of the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, the UN Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, Siobhán Mullally issued the following statement:

“The stagnation and reversal of progress on more than half the Sustainable Development Goal targets has serious implications for global peace and security. The consequences of failure to achieve the sustainable development goals include failures of prevention, protection and accountability for victims and survivors of human trafficking.

Human Rights protection lies at the heart of achievement of the SDGs, including access to justice, food security, gender equality, just and fair conditions of work, ending child labour, equal access to education, just transitions and climate justice.

Read full statement here