UN - The newly-created United Nations trust fund to support victims of human trafficking is gaining steady international support with pledges having been received from six governments and one private sector donor during the past two weeks, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said today. Yury Fedotov, the UNODC Executive Director, stressed that the UN Voluntary Trust Fund for Victims of Trafficking, Especially Women and Children would only be successful with broad financial support. He encouraged all governments, foundations, the private sector and individuals to contribute generously. The UN estimates that more than 2.4 million people are currently being exploited after being trafficked by unscrupulous human smugglers.
“Human beings are trafficked for a wide range of terrible purposes, not only for sexual exploitation – though that is certainly one of the worst forms of this disgraceful crime against human dignity,” Mr. Fedotov said.
“We hope that the new Trust Fund will help us to deal with these challenges as it provides a way to rescue victims of human trafficking and to help them to recover and rebuild their lives,” he told a news conference in Vienna, where UNODC is headquartered.
The Trust Fund will provide victims with humanitarian, legal and financial aid through established channels of assistance, such as governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations.
The UN estimates that more than 2.4 million people are currently being exploited after being trafficked by unscrupulous human smugglers. The Fund, launched on 4 November, is an important element of the new UN Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons, adopted by the General Assembly in July this year.
Mr. Fedotov, whose Office will administer the Fund, also announced the Trust Fund’s Board of Advisors. Representing different regions of the world, the Trustees will serve three-year terms and advise UNODC on the implementation of the Fund.
Selected by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the Trustees will assist UNODC in ensuring a balanced and comprehensive approach to the administration of the Fund. They are Aleya Hammad of Egypt, Saisuree Chutikul of Thailand, Nick Kinsella of the United Kingdom, Virginia Murillo Herrera of Costa Rica and Klara Skrivankova of the Czech Republic.
To date, pledges for contribution have been received from the Governments of Belarus, Egypt, Malaysia, Luxembourg, Qatar and Thailand, as well as from Naguib Sawiris, Executive Chairman of Orascom Telecom.
Pledges for support and solidarity can be placed online at www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking-fund.html.
