Geneva — EU Anti-Trafficking Day takes place every year on 18 October, to unite relevant actors working to eradicate trafficking in human beings around the world. This year IOM, the UN Migration Agency, will co-host a conference with the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) to mark the occasion. The conference, entitled Digital Technology: An Unprecedented Opportunity for the Prevention of Trafficking, will bring together state and non-state stakeholders to address the role of digital technology to prevent human trafficking.

Digital technology, through mobile phones, social media platforms or internet recruitment portals, can be a means of facilitating human trafficking. At the same time, digitalization can provide powerful tools to prevent trafficking in human beings and uphold the rights of victims, for instance, through the creation of hotlines and digital reporting apps to facilitate early identification.

The conference aims to narrow down the debate to one area of counter-trafficking: prevention. Today more than ever, interactions between private technology companies and counter-trafficking stakeholders are key to ensure the positive use of ICTs and the maximisation of their potential to prevent trafficking in human beings. Practical tools specifically designed to raise awareness, report actual or suspected incidents, and improve the gathering, use and sharing of data will be presented.

Representatives from IOM, FDFA, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and British Telecommunications among other counter-trafficking stakeholders, will take part in a panel discussion and presentations during this half-day conference. International experts will be invited to present their work and promising practices in trying to make use of digitalization in counter-trafficking efforts.

Since 2013, IOM’s office in the Swiss capital Bern has organized thematic and awareness-raising events around the EU Anti-Trafficking Day in cooperation with its partners. IOM Bern launched an awareness-raising bus — featuring an exhibition that explains what human trafficking is; shows facts, figures and victim case studies; highlights ways in which victims can be recognized; and gives information for support if a case of trafficking is suspected – that has been travelling around Switzerland since October 2017.

From 13-18 October, the bus will be open to visitors in Geneva at the following locations:

• 13.10.2018 (9h00 – 18h00), Plaine de Plainpalais 
• 15.10.2018 (11h00 – 19h00), Esplanade UniMail
• 16.10.2018 (11h00 – 19h00), Esplanade HUG
• 17.10.2018 (11h00 – 18h00), Plaine de Plainpalais
• 18.10.2018 (8h30 – 16h00), Maison de la Paix

Beyond Switzerland, IOM works in partnership with governments, international and non-governmental organizations, the private sector and development partners around the world on all aspects of counter-trafficking responses – prevention, protection, and prosecution.

Since the mid-1990s, the organization and its partners have provided protection and assistance to close to 100,000 men, women and children, who were trafficked for sexual and labour exploitation, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude, or for organ removal.

For more information please contact:
Emilie Ballestraz at IOM Bern, Tel: +41 31 350 82 22, Email: eballestraz@iom.int
Katie Klaffenböck at IOM Vienna, Tel: +4315853322, Email: kklaffenboeck@iom.int
Chloe Taillard Yevenes at IOM Paris, Tel: +33(0)1.40.44.06.91, Email: ctyevenes@iom.int
Flavio di Giacomo at IOM Rome, Tel: +39 06 44 186 221/207, Email: iomromepress@iom.int
Sarah Di Giglio at IOM UK, Tel: +44 2078116062, Email: sdigiglio@iom.int