Human Trafficking is a crime against humanity. It involves recruiting, transporting, transferring, harbouring or receiving a person through a use of force, coercion or other means, for the purpose of exploiting them. Every year, thousands of men, women and children fall into the hands of traffickers, in their own countries and abroad. Every country in the world is affected by trafficking, whether as a country of origin, transit or destination for victims. UNODC, as guardian of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) and the Protocols thereto, assists States in their efforts to implement the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons (Trafficking in Persons Protocol).
The Act: Recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons.
The Means: Threat or use of force, coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of power or vulnerability, or
giving payments or benefits to a person in control of the victim.
The Purpose: Exploitation, which includes exploiting the prostitution of others, as specific to sex trafficking.
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