A/RES/80/228 GA

United Nations A/RES/80/228 General Assembly Distr.: General 22 December 2025 25-20946 (E) *2520946* Eightieth session Agenda item 107 Crime prevention and criminal justice Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 18 December 2025 [on the report of the Third Committee (A/80/545, para. 5)] 80/228. Improving the coordination of efforts against trafficking in persons The General Assembly, Reiterating its strong condemnation of trafficking in persons, especially women and children, which constitutes an offence and a serious threat to human dignity and physical integrity, human rights and sustainable development, Reiterating its concern that, despite sustained measures taken at the international, regional and national levels, trafficking in persons remains one of the grave challenges facing the international community, which also impairs the enjoyment of human rights and needs a more concerted collective and comprehensive international response, and is on the rise again with cases of child trafficking increasing, Bearing in mind that all States have an obligation to exercise due diligence to prevent, investigate and punish perpetrators of trafficking in persons and to protect and assist victims, and that not doing so violates and impairs or nullifies the enjoyment of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of the victims, Recognizing that the coronavirus disease (COVID‑19) pandemic was one of the greatest global challenges in the history of the United Nations, and recognizing also that the disruption and devastation caused by the COVID‑19 pandemic has brought urgency to strengthening international cooperation to prevent, prepare for and respond to pandemics and other health emergencies, taking into account lessons learned from the COVID‑19 pandemic and other health emergencies to effectively combat trafficking in persons, Recalling the adoption by the General Assembly of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,1 and recalling also the targets of the Sustainable Development _______________ 1 Resolution 70/1. A/RES/80/228 Improving the coordination of efforts against trafficking in persons 25-20946 2/14 Goals on eliminating all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation, 2 on taking immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and trafficking in persons and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms, 3 and on ending abuse and exploitation of, trafficking in and all forms of violence against and torture of children, 4 Recalling also the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, 5 as well as its supplementing Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, 6 which provided the definition of the crime of trafficking in persons, welcoming the twenty-fifth anniversary of the adoption of each instrument, and further acknowledging the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography7 and the Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, the Slave Trade, and Institutions and Practices Similar to Slavery,8 Recalling further the adoption of the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182), of the International Labour Organization, 9 which requires its members that ratify the Convention to take immediate and effective measures to secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour as a matter of urgency, and of the Protocol of 2014 to the Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29), of the International Labour Organization, which recognizes that trafficking in persons for the purposes of forced or compulsory labour is the subject of growing international concern, Recalling the adoption of the United Nations Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons by the General Assembly in its resolution 64/293 of 30 July 2010, and underlining the importance of its full implementation, Reaffirming that the Global Plan of Action was developed: (a) To promote universal ratification of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, as well as other relevant international instruments that address trafficking in persons, and to reinforce the implementation of existing instruments against trafficking in persons, (b) To help Member States to reinforce their political commitments and legal obligations to prevent and combat trafficking in persons, (c) To promote comprehensive, coordinated and consistent responses at the national, regional and international levels to counter trafficking in persons, (d) To promote a human rights-based, gender- and age-sensitive approach in addressing all factors that make people vulnerable to trafficking in persons and strengthening the criminal justice response, which are necessary to prevent trafficking in persons, protect its victims and prosecute its perpetrators, _______________ 2 Target 5.2. 3 Target 8.7. 4 Target 16.2. 5 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 2225, No. 39574. 6 Ibid., vol. 2237, No. 39574. 7 Ibid., vol. 2171, No. 27531. 8 Ibid., vol. 266, No. 3822. 9 Ibid., vol. 2133, No. 37245. Improving the coordination of efforts against trafficking in persons A/RES/80/228 3/14 25-20946 (e) To raise awareness within the United Nations system and also among States and other stakeholders, such as the private sector, civil society and the international and national mass media, and the public at large, (f) To foster cooperation and coordination among all relevant stakeholders, including Member States, international organizations, civil society organizations and the private sector, and within various entities of the United Nations system, taking into account existing best practices and lessons learned, Recalling its resolutions 61/180 of 20 December 2006, 63/194 of 18 December 2008, 64/178 of 18 December 2009, 67/190 of 20 December 2012, 68/192 of 18 December 2013, 70/179 of 17 December 2015, 72/195 of 19 December 2017, 74/176 of 18 December 2019, 76/186 of 16 December 2021 and 78/228 of 19 December 2023 on improving the coordination of efforts against trafficking in persons and its other relevant resolutions on trafficking in persons, 10 Recalling also its resolutions 71/322 of 8 September 2017, 73/189 of 17 December 2018, 75/195 of 16 December 2020, 77/236 of 15 December 2022 and 79/189 of 17 December 2024, entitled “Strengthening and promoting effective measures and international cooperation on organ donation and transplantation to prevent and combat trafficking in persons for the purpose of organ removal and trafficking in human organs”, Recalling further Economic and Social Council resolutions 2017/18 of 6 July 2017 and 2021/25 of 22 July 2021 on the implementation of the Global Plan of Action and previous Council resolutions on trafficking in persons, Recalling Human Rights Council resolution 44/4 of 16 July 2020, entitled “Trafficking in persons, especially women and children: strengthening human rights through enhanced protection, support and empowerment of victims of trafficking, especially women and children”, 11 resolution 53/9 of 12 July 2023, entitled “Trafficking in persons, especially women and children”, 12 and other relevant resolutions of the Council on trafficking in persons, Recalling also Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice resolution 27/2 of 18 May 2018, entitled “Preventing and combating trafficking in persons facilitated by the criminal misuse of information and communications technologies”,13 resolution 27/3 of 18 May 2018, entitled “Improving the protection of children against trafficking in persons, including by addressing the criminal misuse of information and communications technologies”,14 resolution 27/4 of 18 May 2018, entitled “Strengthening measures against trafficking in persons”,15 resolution 32/1 of 27 May 2023, entitled “Taking action against trafficking in persons in business operations, public procurement and supply chains for goods and services”, 16 resolution 33/1 of 17 May 2024, entitled “Countering trafficking in persons in the context of rapid technological change”,17 and the other relevant resolutions of the Commission on trafficking in persons, _______________ 10 Resolutions 49/166, 50/167, 51/66, 52/98, 53/116, 55/67, 58/137, 59/166, 61/144, 63/156, 65/190, 67/145, 69/149, 71/167, 73/146, 76/158, 77/194 and 79/154. 11 See Official Records of the General Assembly, Seventy-fifth Session, Supplement No. 53 (A/75/53), chap. V, sect. A. 12 Ibid., Seventy-eighth Session, Supplement No. 53 (A/78/53), chap. VII, sect. A. 13 See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2018, Supplement No. 10 (E/2018/30), chap. I, sect. C. 14 Ibid. 15 Ibid. 16 Ibid., 2023, Supplement No. 10 (E/2023/30), chap. I, sect. C. 17 Ibid., 2024, Supplement No. 10 (E/2024/30), chap. I, sect. D. A/RES/80/228 Improving the coordination of efforts against trafficking in persons 25-20946 4/14 Welcoming the adoption of General Assembly resolution 79/286 of 29 April 2025 entitled “Modalities, format and organization of the high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the appraisal of the United Nations Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons”, providing for the organization of the high-level meeting and the adoption of a political declaration by the Assembly, Recalling the reference to preventing, countering and combating trafficking in persons and to the vulnerabilities of children in the context of addressing trafficking in persons and migrant smuggling in the Kyoto Declaration on Advancing Crime Prevention, Criminal Justice and the Rule of Law: Towards the Achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by the Fourteenth United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, held in Kyoto, Japan, from 7 to 12 March 2021,18 Recalling also the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants, adopted at the high-level plenary meeting of the General Assembly on addressing large movements of refugees and migrants, held at United Nations Headquarters in New York on 19 September 2016,19 in which States declared that they would, with full respect for their obligations under international law, vigorously combat trafficking in persons and migrant smuggling with a view to their elimination, including through targeted measures to identify victims of trafficking in persons or those at risk of trafficking, provide support for the victims of trafficking in persons and work to prevent trafficking in persons among those affected by displacement, Recognizing that further work is required both to better understand the link between migration and trafficking in persons and to develop more effective responses to eliminate the risk of trafficking in persons in the migration process in order to, inter alia, further efforts to protect migrant workers from all forms of violence, discrimination, exploitation and abuse, Recognizing also the important role of the Inter-Agency Coordination Group against Trafficking in Persons in fostering coordination and cooperation in the global fight against trafficking in persons, within the existing mandates of its members 20 and partners,21 _______________ 18 Resolution 76/181, annex. 19 Resolution 71/1. 20 The Council of the Baltic Sea States, the Department of Peace Operations of the Secretariat, the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs of the Secretariat, the International Centre for Migration Policy Development, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), the International Labour Organization, the International Organization for Migration, the International Telecommunication Union, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Organization of American States, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect, the United Nations Population Fund, the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women) and the World Bank. 21 The Council of Europe, the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children, the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences and the Special Rapporteur on the sale, sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of children. Improving the coordination of efforts against trafficking in persons A/RES/80/228 5/14 25-20946 Recalling that the Inter-Agency Coordination Group was established to foster cooperation among relevant United Nations agencies and other international organizations involved in combating trafficking in persons in countries around the world using, to the extent possible, mechanisms already in place at the regional and national levels, and to share information, experiences and good practices relating to the activities of the partner agencies to counter trafficking with Governments, international and regional organizations and other relevant bodies, Recognizing that the Inter-Agency Coordination Group, within its mandate, contributes to the implementation of the Global Plan of Action, taking note with appreciation of the activities of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime as coordinator of the Coordination Group, as well as the activities of the members of the Coordination Group, and encouraging the more robust participation of all members of the Coordination Group, Taking note with appreciation of the work of the 2024 Co-Chairs of the Inter‑Agency Coordination Group, the International Organization for Migration and the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children, including the 2024 priorities on strengthening multi-stakeholder partnerships and reinforcing counter-trafficking responses in crisis contexts, while maintaining a strong emphasis on child protection, Taking note with appreciation also of the work of the 2025 Co-Chairs of the Inter-Agency Coordination Group, the Organization of American States and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, including the provision of a joint submission to the fourth appraisal of the United Nations Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons, which provides the analysis of prevailing trends on trafficking in persons, particularly child trafficking, as well as emerging trends, including trafficking in persons facilitated and/or enabled through new technologies, and recommendations for States’ consideration as priority actions for the period ahead, and improving understanding of the nexus between trafficking in persons and other serious crimes, Taking note with appreciation further of the thematic focus of the Inter-Agency Coordination Group on trafficking in persons and technology, trafficking in persons in humanitarian settings, including conflicts, addressing vulnerability to trafficking in persons, trafficking in persons for the purpose of organ removal, the relationship between migration and trafficking in persons, preventing trafficking in persons in public procurement, the non‑punishment of trafficking victims, and taking note of the work of the Coordination Group to strengthen coordination among its members and partners as well as with other organizations and institutions, including non‑governmental actors, civil society, victims and survivors,22 the private sector and trade unions, and of the continued implementation by the Coordination Group of its Plan of Action, endorsed at the principal-level meeting on 15 December 2020, as well as the efforts of the Coordination Group to increase the visibility of its work, Emphasizing the central role of the work of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in the global fight against trafficking in persons, particularly in providing technical assistance to Member States, upon their request, to implement the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and _______________ 22 The term “survivor” or “survivors” is not defined in the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, but in some Member States it is used to acknowledge that victims of trafficking in persons can recover or have recovered from the trauma that they have endured. A/RES/80/228 Improving the coordination of efforts against trafficking in persons 25-20946 6/14 Children, by making use of existing capacity-building tools, lessons learned from Member States and expertise available in other international organizations, Recognizing the role of the Working Group on Trafficking in Persons established by the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, and taking note of the recommendations arising from its meetings, which guide States Parties to the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime in strengthening international cooperation as well as in exchanging best practices to fight the crime of trafficking in persons, Expressing concern about the increasing reports of trafficking in persons in the context of sport, which often involves transnational organized crime groups exploiting people in vulnerable situations, especially children, and in this regard recognizing the need to address the knowledge gap around this issue through support for and engagement in data-gathering on trafficking in persons in the context of sport in order to ensure that responses are evidence-based, Recognizing the need to continue to foster a global partnership against trafficking in persons among all stakeholders and the need to continue to work towards an enhanced comprehensive and coordinated approach to prevent and combat trafficking and to protect and assist victims of trafficking in persons through the appropriate national, regional and international mechanisms, Recognizing also the importance of bilateral, subregional, regional and international cooperation mechanisms and initiatives, including information exchanges on good practices and mutual legal assistance, where appropriate, of Governments and of intergovernmental and non‑governmental organizations to address the crime of trafficking in persons, especially women and children, Taking note with appreciation of the different initiatives of Member States, promoted in the United Nations to contribute to the global fight against trafficking in persons,23 Recalling that trafficking in persons is fuelled by high profits for traffickers and demand that fosters all forms of exploitation, with trafficking in persons disproportionately affecting women and girls, who are particularly vulnerable to trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation, Stressing the need to take appropriate measures to ensure access to justice and protections for victims in criminal justice processes, including measures to ensure that identified victims of trafficking in persons are not penalized for having been trafficked and that they do not suffer from victimization as a result of actions taken by government authorities, communities and families, and in this regard taking note of the report of the Secretary-General entitled “Trafficking in women and girls: strengthening access to justice for victim-survivors”,24 Recognizing that broad international cooperation between Member States and relevant intergovernmental and non‑governmental organizations is essential for effectively countering the threat of trafficking in persons and other contemporary forms of slavery, _______________ 23 Such as, inter alia, Alliance 8.7; Finance Against Slavery and Trafficking; the call to action to end forced labour, modern slavery and human trafficking; the principles to guide government action to combat human trafficking in global supply chains; and the Bali Process on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime. 24 A/79/322. Improving the coordination of efforts against trafficking in persons A/RES/80/228 7/14 25-20946 Recognizing also that victims of trafficking are often subject to multiple forms of discrimination and violence, including on the grounds of gender, age, disability, ethnicity, culture and religion, as well as national or social origin, and that these forms of discrimination may themselves fuel trafficking in persons, and that women and children without nationality or without birth registration are particularly vulnerable to trafficking in persons, Recognizing further the potential of the Internet and other information and communications technologies, including artificial intelligence, to prevent and combat trafficking in persons and to assist victims, stressing the need for increased support for technology-based solutions to identify cases and victims of trafficking and for increased law enforcement cooperation in this regard to address the new challenges generated by the rapid development of the Internet and other information and communications technologies, Expressing concern about the continual use and adaptation of information and communications technologies, including artificial intelligence, the Internet, social media and online platforms by the perpetrators of trafficking in persons to facilitate trafficking in persons, including in the context of emergencies, for the purpose of recruitment, exploitation, especially of women and children, controlling victims, avoiding detection, investigation and prosecution, and transferring the profits of the criminal activity, Stressing the need to promote the establishment of common frameworks, where relevant, for aligning activities and defining and assessing progress, to build a voluntary, robust and shared evidence base of effective programmes and practices to combat trafficking in persons, as well as to promote and protect the rights of victims of trafficking in persons and to reintegrate victims into the community, including by making use, where appropriate, of the Recommended Principles and Guidelines on Human Rights and Human Trafficking25 and the commentary thereon developed by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Guidelines on the Protection of Child Victims of Trafficking developed by the United Nations Children’s Fund, the assessment toolkit “Trafficking in persons for the purpose of organ removal” developed by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the Toolkit for Guidance in Designing and Evaluating Counter-Trafficking Programmes developed by the Inter-Agency Coordination Group against Trafficking in Persons, Welcoming the efforts of Member States, United Nations agencies, international organizations, civil society organizations, the private sector and financial institutions to address the problem of trafficking in persons, including women and children as the most vulnerable group, and emphasizing the urgent need for them to further enhance their efforts and cooperation to build the evidence base, including by sharing their knowledge and best practices as widely as possible, Affirming that capacity-building is a very important component in combating trafficking in persons, and in this regard stressing the need to intensify international cooperation to combat trafficking in persons, including through bilateral and regional initiatives to enhance judiciary prosecutor’s offices and law enforcement cooperation and training, as well as technical assistance for countries aimed at strengthening their ability to prevent and combat all forms of trafficking, including supporting their development programmes, Recalling the Khartoum process and its Declaration adopted in Khartoum on 16 October 2014 during the Regional Ministerial Conference on Human Trafficking _______________ 25 E/2002/68/Add.1. A/RES/80/228 Improving the coordination of efforts against trafficking in persons 25-20946 8/14 and Smuggling in the Horn of Africa, coordinated by the African Union, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organization for Migration, which aimed to strengthen national, regional and international cooperation and build capacities in the African countries to combat trafficking in persons and migrant smuggling, Recalling also the Third Work Plan for a Comprehensive Response to Trafficking in Persons in the Western Hemisphere 2023–2028, adopted by the General Assembly of the Organization of American States at its fifty-third regular session, held in Washington, D.C., from 21 to 23 June 2023, Recalling further the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration26 and the Global Compact on Refugees, 27 and taking note of the adoption by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women of its general recommendation No. 38 (2020) on trafficking in women and girls in the context of global migration,28 Recognizing that the Global Plan of Action and the establishment of the United Nations voluntary trust fund for victims of trafficking in persons, especially women and children, established in compliance with the Global Plan of Action, aim at raising awareness of the situation of victims of trafficking in persons and at providing them with humanitarian, legal and financial aid through established channels of assistance, such as governmental, intergovernmental and non‑governmental organizations, Reaffirming the importance of humanitarian, legal and financial aid to victims of trafficking in persons, including through governmental, intergovernmental and non‑governmental organizations, including the United Nations voluntary trust fund for victims of trafficking in persons, especially women and children, managed by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the United Nations voluntary trust fund on contemporary forms of slavery, managed by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the International Organization for Migration Global Assistance Fund, Recognizing the need to ensure the protection and provision of appropriate support and assistance to trafficking victims without discrimination, focusing on long- term reintegration, including access to employment, education and housing, Taking note of the report of the Secretary-General entitled “Improving the coordination of efforts against trafficking in persons”,29 Taking note also of the reports of relevant special procedure mandate holders of the Human Rights Council, such as the report of the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children,30 as well as the reports of the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences,31 and of the Special Rapporteur on the sale, sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of children,32 Recognizing that, in accordance with the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, the Conference of the Parties to the Convention is established to improve the capacity of States Parties to combat transnational _______________ 26 Resolution 73/195, annex. 27 Official Records of the General Assembly, Seventy-third Session, Supplement No. 12 (A/73/12 (Part I) and A/73/12 (Part II)), part II. 28 CEDAW/C/GC/38. 29 A/80/234. 30 A/80/166. 31 A/80/182. 32 A/80/113. Improving the coordination of efforts against trafficking in persons A/RES/80/228 9/14 25-20946 organized crime and to promote and review the implementation of the Convention, including the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, and in this regard taking note of resolutions 10/1 of 16 October 2020, entitled “Launch of the review process of the Mechanism for the Review of the Implementation of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the Protocols thereto”, and 10/3, also of 16 October 2020, entitled “Effective implementation of the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime”, adopted by the Conference of the Parties at its tenth session, held in Vienna from 12 to 16 October 2020,33 and of resolution 11/5 of 21 October 2022, entitled “Implementation of the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime”, adopted by the Conference of the Parties at its eleventh session, held in Vienna from 17 to 21 October 2022,34 Recalling the request made to the Secretary-General by the General Assembly in its resolution 64/293 to include, within existing reporting obligations to the Assembly under the item on crime prevention and criminal justice, a section on the implementation by the United Nations system of the United Nations Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons, 1. Urges Member States that have not yet done so to consider ratifying or acceding to, as a matter of priority, the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, taking into consideration the central role of those instruments in the fight against trafficking in persons, and also urges States Parties to those instruments to fully and effectively implement their obligations; 2. Urges Member States and other stakeholders mentioned in the United Nations Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons,35 and invites the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and relevant international, regional and subregional organizations, within their respective mandates, to continue to contribute to the full and effective implementation of the Global Plan of Action, including by means of strengthening cooperation and improving coordination among themselves in achieving that goal; 3. Calls upon Governments to closely follow developments in the area of international protection of victims of trafficking in persons in order to protect the human rights of such persons and to ensure compliance with international humanitarian law and international human rights law; 4. Recalls the holding of the high-level meetings of the General Assembly during its sixty-seventh session, from 13 to 15 May 2013, during its seventy-second session, on 27 and 28 September 2017, during its seventy-sixth session, on 22 and 23 November 2021, and during its eightieth session, on 24 and 25 November 2025, to appraise the progress achieved in the implementation of the Global Plan of Action, which, inter alia, reiterated strong political will to take decisive concerted action against trafficking in persons; 5. Also recalls its decision, in its resolution 68/192, to appraise, from within existing resources, on a four-year basis starting at its seventy-second session, the _______________ 33 See CTOC/COP/2020/10, sect. I.A. 34 See CTOC/COP/2022/9, sect. I.A. 35 Resolution 64/293. A/RES/80/228 Improving the coordination of efforts against trafficking in persons 25-20946 10/14 progress achieved in the implementation of the Global Plan of Action in order to assess achievements, gaps and challenges, including in the implementation of the relevant legal instruments, and therefore decides to convene a high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the progress achieved in the implementation of the Global Plan of Action at its eighty-fourth session, after the general debate, but no later than December 2029; 6. Reaffirms its request to the Secretary-General and to the President of the General Assembly, in close cooperation and coordination with Member States, to take all appropriate measures to arrange the high-level meeting; 7. Recalls its decision to designate 30 July as the World Day against Trafficking in Persons, to be observed annually, and, while welcoming events held by Member States, United Nations agencies, other international organizations and civil society at the international, regional and national levels to mark the World Day, invites all stakeholders to continue to observe the World Day in order to raise awareness of trafficking in persons and the situation of the victims of this crime and for the promotion and protection of their rights; 8. Expresses solidarity with and compassion for victims and survivors of trafficking in persons, and calls for the full respect for their human rights and the provision of appropriate victim-centred, trauma-informed, gender-responsive and age-sensitive care and assistance, where applicable, including interpretation and sign language, where appropriate, to victims of trafficking, and services for their rehabilitation or recovery, as appropriate, in cooperation with civil society and other relevant partners; 9. Stresses the need to ensure that victims are treated with respect and dignity and are not inappropriately penalized or adversely affected by any actions taken by government authorities and communities, including criminal, civil, administrative and immigration penalties, for acts that they commit as a direct consequence of their trafficking situation, through the implementation of the principles of both non‑prosecution and non‑punishment of victims of trafficking subject to national laws, rules and regulations; 10. Expresses support for the activities of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, reaffirms its request to the Secretary-General to provide adequate support to the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, and invites Member States to make voluntary contributions to the Office for the purpose of providing assistance to Member States upon request; 11. Encourages the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to cooperate with relevant international organizations outside the United Nations system and to invite such organizations and interested Member States to participate, when appropriate, in the meetings of the Inter-Agency Coordination Group against Trafficking in Persons and to keep Member States informed of the schedule of and the progress made by the Coordination Group; 12. Invites Member States to consider the recommendations of the Working Group on Trafficking in Persons for strengthening international cooperation and exchanging best practices in the fight against this crime; 13. Recalls the Inter-Agency Coordination Group Plan of Action, endorsed on 15 December 2020, as well as of the first regional consultation on trafficking in persons in Eastern Africa, held in virtual format on 7 and 8 February 2022, and takes note of the regional consultation with civil society and international organizations on trafficking in persons in the Americas, held in Panama City on 8 May 2025; Improving the coordination of efforts against trafficking in persons A/RES/80/228 11/14 25-20946 14. Welcomes the sixth and seventh meetings of the Inter-Agency Coordination Group at the level of principals, held in virtual format on 13 December 2024 and on 29 October 2025, which reinforced the vital role of inter-agency partnership in tackling trafficking in persons, and requests the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, as coordinator of the Coordination Group, to continue to convene such meetings of the Coordination Group at the level of principals on a regular basis, and in this context takes note of the engagement of the European Union Anti-Trafficking Coordinator with the Coordination Group, and encourages the Coordination Group to engage with relevant regional and international organizations from other regions; 15. Also welcomes the Special Rapporteur on the sale, sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of children as the newest partner of the Coordination Group; 16. Invites regional and international organizations, within their mandates, to join and consider co-chairing, along with a United Nations agency, the Inter-Agency Coordination Group to strengthen the exchange of expertise and regional experiences and thus enhance international cooperation in combating trafficking in persons and assisting the victims of this crime; 17. Takes note of the ongoing process undertaken by the Inter-Agency Coordination Group to sustain the focus on child trafficking and explore a possible nexus between trafficking in persons and other forms of organized crime, and to ensure that information-sharing among relevant agencies and between countries is done in accordance with international and national legal frameworks and takes into account privacy and confidentiality; 18. Invites the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, in its capacity as coordinator of the Inter-Agency Coordination Group, and other relevant agencies of the United Nations system to further strengthen their activities related to the implementation of relevant international instruments and the Global Plan of Action to drive greater progress in eliminating trafficking in persons, and invites Member States and other international and bilateral donors to provide voluntary contributions to the Office for these purposes, in accordance with the policies, rules and procedures of the United Nations; 19. Calls upon Member States to take into consideration new methods of recruiting those at risk of being subjected to trafficking in persons, such as the misuse of the Internet by traffickers, in particular for recruiting children, to take measures to develop targeted awareness-raising campaigns, including for law enforcement, front- line service providers and at-risk industries, to identify the signs of trafficking in persons and to develop specialized training for law enforcement and criminal justice practitioners; 20. Encourages Member States to harness the opportunities presented by technology, including artificial intelligence, to strengthen detection, investigation, prevention and victim assistance in cases of trafficking in persons, and to promote cooperation and the exchange of good practices in this regard, including with relevant stakeholders in line with applicable international law, including international human rights obligations and domestic legal frameworks; 21. Also encourages Member States to take, consistent with domestic law, legislative or other measures, where appropriate, to facilitate the detection, by Internet service and access providers or other relevant entities, of child sexual exploitation and child abuse materials related to offences involving trafficking in children, as required by domestic frameworks and to ensure, in compliance with domestic law, the reporting of such materials to the relevant authorities and their removal by Internet A/RES/80/228 Improving the coordination of efforts against trafficking in persons 25-20946 12/14 service and access providers or other relevant entities, including in conjunction with law enforcement in the investigation and prosecution; 22. Further encourages Member States to scale up their efforts to combat emerging forms of technology-facilitated and cyber-enabled trafficking in persons, in particular forced criminality for the purposes of online scams and online fraud, develop digital literacy programmes for at-risk populations, most notably for children and youth, and address the gender-related risks and challenges emerging from the use of technologies; 23. Reaffirms Member States’ commitment to address the social, economic, cultural, political and other factors that make people vulnerable to trafficking in persons, such as poverty, underdevelopment, unemployment, inequality, humanitarian emergencies, armed conflicts and natural disasters, sexual violence, gender discrimination, racial discrimination and social and financial exclusion, as well as negative social norms, which promote a culture of tolerance towards violence against women, youth and children; 24. Recognizes that in armed conflicts, trafficking in persons can be prevalent, and in this regard calls upon Member States to ensure the comprehensive application of international humanitarian law, international criminal law, international human rights law and international refugee law, in accordance with respective obligations, to trafficking in persons in conflict situations for all purposes of exploitation, and to both internal and cross-border trafficking in persons, in order to ensure accountability, prevent impunity and provide effective access to justice for trafficked persons; 25. Expresses deep concern about the increasing links between armed groups, including terrorist groups, and trafficking in persons, involving the coercion of victims, in particular women and girls, into child, early and forced marriages, sexual slavery, forced pregnancy, forced labour, domestic servitude and sexual exploitation, and subjecting men and boys to forced labour or to act as combatants; 26. Encourages Member States to seek to address trafficking in persons in global supply chains, including by considering the development of common public procurement standards, compliance requirements or codes of conduct and by harmonizing frameworks, in line with domestic legislation, including those guiding anti‑trafficking efforts and sustainable procurement; 27. Calls upon Member States, international organizations, civil society organizations, the private sector and financial institutions, through partnerships, as appropriate, to increase and support prevention efforts in countries of origin, transit and destination by focusing domestically and globally on the demand and supply chains that foster all forms of trafficking and the goods and services produced as a result of trafficking in persons and to consider cooperating to organize awareness- raising campaigns, programmes to facilitate the identification of victims of trafficking and the provision of assistance to those victims; 28. Calls upon States, in accordance with domestic law and taking into account best practices or other promising measures developed in response to emerging trends in trafficking in persons, to encourage the private sector to conduct due diligence with respect to their supply chains and consider the risks of trafficking in persons in their own operations and in those of their subcontractors and suppliers, aiming to ensure that they address risks proactively; 29. Stresses the need to intensify the efforts to prevent irregular migration and create and strengthen pathways for safe, orderly and regular migration to reduce the exposure of people on the move who are vulnerable to trafficking in persons, and in this regard encourages Member States to take legislative or other measures to prevent, Improving the coordination of efforts against trafficking in persons A/RES/80/228 13/14 25-20946 combat and eradicate trafficking in persons in the context of international migration by strengthening capacities and international cooperation to investigate, prosecute and penalize trafficking in persons, discouraging demand that fosters exploitation leading to trafficking, and ending impunity of trafficking networks; 30. Encourages Member States to cooperate on issues concerning trafficking in persons with the Inter-Agency Coordination Group; 31. Also encourages Member States to cooperate with the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery and trafficking in persons, and with other relevant special procedure mandate holders of the Human Rights Council, including the Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences, and the Special Rapporteur on the sale, sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of children, as well as with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children; 32. Calls upon Member States to continue their efforts to criminalize trafficking in persons in all its forms, including the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs, especially concerning child labour, children and persons with disabilities, and to strengthen cooperation and coordination in countries of origin, transit and destination in order to disrupt and dismantle criminal networks involved in such crimes, inter alia, through the enhancement of information-sharing, including through the secure communications channels of the International Criminal Police Organization, where appropriate, as well as through mutual legal assistance and extradition, with full respect for international law and domestic law, and to investigate, prosecute and penalize traffickers and intermediaries while providing victim-centred, trauma-informed, gender- and age- sensitive protection and assistance to the victims of trafficking with full respect for their human rights, and invites Member States to continue to support those United Nations agencies and international organizations that are actively involved in victim protection; 33. Also calls upon Member States to take measures to support family reunification for victims of trafficking in persons, where safe and appropriate, especially when those are children, taking into consideration the best interests of the child; 34. Notes the second consultative meeting on strengthening partnerships with national rapporteurs and relevant mechanisms on trafficking in persons, held in Bangkok on 21 and 22 May 2014, co-hosted by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children, and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the establishment of an informal network of such mechanisms located all over the world to address trafficking in persons in a consistent manner and to exchange information and best practices built on different national experiences, requests the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to continue its efforts to collect information on national efforts to combat trafficking in persons, as well as on relevant national mechanisms, to make up-to-date information available to Member States, and invites Member States to host consultative meetings between relevant national mechanisms on trafficking in persons that continue transnational dialogue and the exchange of information on common challenges; 35. Requests the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, in its capacity as fund manager of the United Nations voluntary trust fund for victims of trafficking in persons, especially women and children, to continue to encourage contributions by States and all other relevant stakeholders to the trust fund; A/RES/80/228 Improving the coordination of efforts against trafficking in persons 25-20946 14/14 36. Welcomes the biennial publication of the Global Report on Trafficking in Persons, prepared by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, looks forward to the next such report, to be produced by the Office in 2026, pursuant to the Global Plan of Action, supports the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime trafficking in persons data capacity-building programme, and strongly encourages Member States to provide to the Office evidence-based internationally standardized data on patterns, flows and forms of trafficking in persons, including for the purpose of the removal of organs and in the context of sport, based on the International Classification of Crime for Statistical Purposes; 37. Encourages the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations Children’s Fund and the Inter-Agency Coordination Group against Trafficking in Persons in coordination with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to consider updating, subject to the availability of extrabudgetary resources, respectively the Recommended Principles and Guidelines on Human Rights and Human Trafficking and the commentary thereon, the Guidelines on the Protection of Child Victims of Trafficking and the Toolkit for Guidance in Designing and Evaluating Counter-Trafficking Programmes of the Coordination Group; 38. Requests the Secretary-General to submit a report on the implementation of the present resolution to the General Assembly at its eighty-second session, including recommendations on measures to bring greater urgency to and improve the coordination of efforts against trafficking in persons. 69th plenary meeting 18 December 2025

UN Project. “A/RES/80/228.” UN Project, https://un-project.org/votes/resolution/A-RES-80-228/. Accessed .

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