The United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has published a new study, the Global Report on Trafficking in Persons 2018, which provides current information on global trends in human trafficking and assesses the impact of the UN Trafficking Protocol that was put into effect 15 years ago. The study found that the detection and reporting rates of human trafficking have grown steadily since 2010, indicating the increased capacity of governments and law enforcement agencies to identify victims. The rise in detected victims was especially pronounced in Asia and the Americas. Conflict areas also showed high rates of human trafficking as military groups traffic victims into forced marriage or sexual exploitation. According to the report, women and girls constitute nearly 70% of all human trafficking victims worldwide. Women and girls are mainly targeted for sexual exploitation, with 83% of women victims and 72% of girl victims trafficked for this purpose. Meanwhile, men continue to represent the majority of offenders who are investigated/arrested (69%) or convicted (65%) for human trafficking. 

Along with describing the patterns of human trafficking on a global level, the report explores the policy implications of this analysis. Although an unprecedented amount of countries have enacted reform and enforced human trafficking laws, sub-Saharan Africa and specific parts of Asia continue to demonstrate low rates of detection and conviction. The report also recommends training peacekeeping personnel to identify and assist victims in order to improve the detection and reduction of human trafficking in conflict areas. 

Compiled from: Kristiina Kangaspunta et al., Global Report on Trafficking in Persons 2018, United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime, December 2018.