Human trafficking and migrant smuggling are serious global crimes that harm thousands of people around the world. Conflict, displacement, climate change, cybercrime, and global crises have made these crimes more complex to address.
The UNODC Action Against Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling works with governments, institutions, and partners worldwide to prevent these crimes, protect victims, and strengthen justice systems.
We place survivors at the centre of our work, promoting their meaningful participation and ensuring access to justice, protection, and comprehensive support.
Through research, policy development, and specialized training, we equip authorities with the knowledge and tools needed to investigate cases effectively and disrupt criminal networks.
We address migrant smuggling while upholding the rights and protection of vulnerable migrants, and we support the identification of trafficking victims within migration and refugee flows.
For more than 25 years, since the adoption of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its Protocols, UNODC has led global efforts to combat human trafficking and migrant smuggling. Today, nearly all countries worldwide are party to these agreements, with 185 States acceding to the Trafficking in Persons Protocol and 154 to the Smuggling of Migrants Protocol.
With our support, countries have strengthened legislation, trained more than 35,000 professionals, investigated and prosecuted hundreds of criminal cases, and provided protection and assistance to thousands of victims around the world.
