UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon [official website] said Tuesday that increased funding and international cooperation are needed to successfully combat human trafficking [UN News Centre report]. Ban stressed that human trafficking affects victims in 124 countries despite the existence of political will and legal tools to root out human traffickers. The call came at the Stronger Partnership and Coordination to Stop Human Trafficking: Eradicating Modern-Day Slavery through Sustainable Development Event where Ban made the following statement [text]:

Today, more than 60 million women, children and men are fleeing conflict, escaping wars, or seeking a better life. Yet as they make their journey, many are being coerced into exploitation. … We must end the suffering of all victims of trafficking, including those subjected to slavery, servitude, forced labour or bonded labour. Each one deserves protection and support. Each one deserves justice and opportunity. The promotion of human rights is central to our strategy.

Yury Fedotov [official profile], Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs remarked that unless international cooperation develops into a more meaningful partnership, all current effort will continue to fall short.

One of the most controversial topics of modern slavery in the international community has been human trafficking. Approximately 36 million people in the world live in a form of modern slavery [JURIST report], the Global Slavery Index (GSI) [advocacy website] reported in November. With a vote of 14 in favor, the UN Security Council [official website] in October introduced [press release] a resolution to allow the European Union [official website] to inspect and seize vehicles suspected of smuggling migrants. Authorized under Chapter VII of the UN Charter [text], the resolution permits certain nations to board ships in order to prevent human trafficking [JURIST report]. US Attorney General Loretta Lynch announced in September that the Department of Justice [official website] will fund [JURIST report] a $44 million grant to fight human trafficking.