UNODC

"Combating the rise of human trafficking through maritime routes and strengthening international cooperation in coastal security"

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) serves as the leading UN body combating transnational organized crime, including human trafficking, drug smuggling, and illicit trade. Under the agenda “Combating the Rise of Human Trafficking Through Maritime Routes and Strengthening International Cooperation in Coastal Security,” the committee will examine the growing use of international waters and coastal regions by trafficking networks to transport victims of forced labor, sexual exploitation, and modern slavery.

Traffickers exploit weak maritime enforcement, porous coastlines, and gaps in international law to evade detection, particularly in regions like the Mediterranean, Southeast Asia, and the Horn of Africa. UNODC, through its Global Maritime Crime Programme and the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons (Palermo Protocol), works with member states to enhance port security, strengthen coastal patrols, and foster intelligence-sharing.

This session will emphasize multilateral coordination, capacity-building for coastal nations, and legal harmonization to dismantle trafficking networks and protect vulnerable populations at sea.