In his intervention, during the event organized on 20/3/2023 by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on "Presentation in New York of the UNODC 2022 Global Report on Trafficking in Persons", Cyprus' Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Andreas Hadjichrysanthou stressed that human trafficking is a violation of fundamental human rights and a blow to human dignity.
He noted that the pandemic along with other international challenges, including conflict and climate change, has led to an increase in economic and social inequalities which are among the root causes of human trafficking. He stressed that it is a very serious crime that is often transnational in nature and therefore particularly difficult to detect.
He added that the UNODC report indicates that the pandemic has negatively affected the detection and characteristics of human trafficking. He also said that due to the pandemic, the characteristics of the crime of trafficking in persons have changed, making it not easily detectable by the authorities. It is for this reason, he said, that the UNODC global report is of great importance because it outlines the situation and provides the analysis that policy makers and professionals need to understand the crime, while contributing to joint efforts to combat and end human trafficking.
The Permanent Representative indicated that human trafficking is a global issue that affects Cyprus and therefore, the Cypriot government is committed to the goal of combating and He added that being aware of the times we live in, another element that can help our efforts to identify the crime and address its new characteristics is the study of the economic aspect of the phenomenon, since the main objective of human trafficking is high economic profit. He mentioned, therefore, that a key tool in the effort to detect and combat this crime is the monitoring of the economic route taken by traffickers.
In this context, the Permanent Representative referred to the publication by the Cypriot government of the first Strategic Analysis Report for financial institutions, which aims to provide guidance on how to identify and report suspicious transactions related to trafficking in human beings. He noted that this Strategic Analysis aims to strengthen cooperation between private and public sector actors, to assist the Anti-Covert Offences Unit (ACU) in breaking down the business model of traffickers, while strengthening efforts to prevent and combat human trafficking, with the aim of rescuing and protecting more victims.
In conclusion, Mr. Hadjichrysanthou expressed the need for a more effective multilateral approach and the development of strong partnerships between governments, the UN system, civil society and the private sector to fight crime. He stressed that human dignity is non-negotiable and that human trafficking cannot be tolerated.
(MHF/EHR)
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