25th Conference of the Alliance against Trafficking in Persons
Last week, our Directors Bernie Gravett and Colin Carswell MA attended the OSCE Combating Trafficking in Human Beings (CTHB) 25th Conference of the Alliance against Trafficking in Persons. The conference had almost 500 in person attendees a well as another 400 online participants.
The focus of this conference was on child trafficking, particularly child criminal exploitation and included presentations from survivors of human trafficking. The inclusion of trafficking survivors is key—their voices, stories, and faces must be heard and seen on the global stage, showcasing their courage and strength.
Our highlights included an incredible personal testimony and call to action from survivor and lived experience expert Sosa Henkoma and a poignant presentation from Julia Sachenko from Save Ukraine highlighting the thousands of Ukrainian children that are victims of Russian Federation state sponsored human trafficking following the full-scale invasion.
The energy in the room was staggering with so many passionate speakers in attendance. Now it’s time for all of us, both those present in person and online, to shift into a higher gear and intensify our efforts. We must redouble our commitment to combating and preventing the human trafficking of children, ensuring that every action we take brings us closer to a world where all children are protected from exploitation.
