Focus: Human Trafficking/Forced Labour

The 2012 Global Report on Human Trafficking was released this week by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).  As part of the Global Plan of Action to Combat Human Trafficking, the UN General Assembly mandated that the UNODC "collect information and report biennially, starting in 2012, on patterns and flows of trafficking in persons at the national, regional and international levels in a balanced, reliable and comprehensive manner, in close cooperation and collaboration with Member States, and share best practices and lessons learned from various initiatives and mechanisms" (see para. 60).

As such, the newly published report "provides an overview of patterns and flows of trafficking in persons at global, regional and national levels, based on trafficking cases detected between 2007 and 2010 (or more recent). The report also includes a chapter on the worldwide response to trafficking in persons. The Country Profiles of the Global Report present a national level analysis for each of the 132 countries covered by this edition of the report."

This is the first issue of the global report under the UNGA mandate; an earlier 2009 report with the same title was produced within the framework of the UN.GIFT initiative.

Other recent publications:

Human Trafficking, a Shadow of Migration: Evidence from Germany, Discussion Paper, no. 1246 (German Institute for Economic Research, Sept. 2012) [text]

"Human Trafficking and Human Smuggling: Similar Nature, Different Concepts," Studies of Changing Societies: Comparative and Interdisciplinary Focus, vol. 1, no. 1 (2012) [full-text]

"A Labor Paradigm for Human Trafficking," UCLA Law Review, vol. 60, no. 1 (2012) [full-text]

The Protection of Internationally Trafficked Persons in Canada: Critical Gaps in Immigration Policy (Oppenheimer Chair, Dec. 2012) [text]

Secular and Faith-based NGOs: A Content Analysis of Priorities, Thesis submitted to the Graduate School (Ball State University, May 2012) [text]

Trafficking in Persons: U.S. Policy and Issues for Congress (U.S. Congressional Research Service, Dec. 2012) [text]

Understanding Forced Migration and Unfree Labour in the Global Economy, Keynote Lecture at Migration in a Changing World: Where Do We Go Now?, 5-9 Nov. 2012 [access]

Event & opportunity:

Research Network on Human Trafficking (Danish Institute for International Studies) [info]

Tackling Human Trafficking in Europe: Prevention, Protection, Prosecution, Brussels, 30 January 2013 [info]

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities.