{"id":5183,"date":"2020-08-12T09:00:44","date_gmt":"2020-08-12T09:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/samilia.org\/world-day-against-trafficking-in-persons-2020\/"},"modified":"2025-12-01T13:43:59","modified_gmt":"2025-12-01T13:43:59","slug":"world-day-against-trafficking-in-persons-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/samilia.org\/en\/world-day-against-trafficking-in-persons-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"World Day against Trafficking in Persons 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"&#13;\n<p>On July 30, 2020, the Samilia Foundation, in partnership with UNODC, wished to<\/p>&#13;\n&#13;\n<h2 class=\"has-vivid-cyan-blue-color has-text-color wp-block-heading\">honor the people on the front lines.<\/h2>&#13;\n\r\n<p>This year, the theme of the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons honors frontline workers\u2014those who are first to respond to stop this crime. These are men and women working in various fields who identify, support, advise, and assist victims, or work to hold traffickers accountable. <\/p>\r\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-4280\" src=\"https:\/\/samilia.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/end-human-trafficking-2-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https:\/\/samilia.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/end-human-trafficking-2-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/samilia.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/end-human-trafficking-2-400x225.png 400w, https:\/\/samilia.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/end-human-trafficking-2-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/samilia.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/end-human-trafficking-2-600x338.png 600w, https:\/\/samilia.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/end-human-trafficking-2.png 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/p>\r\n&#13;\n<p>Around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance and role of frontline workers, while movement restrictions imposed by many governments to counter the coronavirus have made their work increasingly complex.<\/p>&#13;\n\r\n\r\n&#13;\n<p>Through the stories of frontline responders describing their work with victims, we aim to highlight their contribution, as well as that of their institutions, organizations, and teams, in the fight against human trafficking: law enforcement officers, social workers, healthcare professionals, NGO staff, and many others, all working to protect vulnerable individuals.<\/p>&#13;\n\r\n\r\n&#13;\n<p>This day provides an opportunity to share positive messages, showcasing the vital work of these frontline responders and emphasizing the need to support and continue their efforts. Testimonials also highlight how these workers continue to fight human trafficking during the COVID-19 pandemic. <\/p>&#13;\n\r\n\r\n&#13;\n<p>Join the Day and Follow These Stories on Social Media! <strong>#EndHumanTrafficking<\/strong><\/p>&#13;\n\r\n\r\n&#13;\n<p>Overview of the Day:<\/p>&#13;\n\r\n\r\n&#13;\n<p><strong>On the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, communities across Belgium come together to honor the work of frontline responders in the field of human trafficking. These individuals work in various sectors: identifying, supporting, advising, and seeking justice for trafficking victims, as well as challenging traffickers\u2019 impunity. With the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, the role of frontline responders has become even more critical. Nevertheless, their contributions are often overlooked and underappreciated. \u201cGaining the trust of victims is essential to ensuring justice and punishing perpetrators,\u201d says Koen Geens, Minister of Justice.    <\/strong><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-4282 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/samilia.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/smurf-UNODC-400x400.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/samilia.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/smurf-UNODC-400x400.png 400w, https:\/\/samilia.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/smurf-UNODC-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/samilia.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/smurf-UNODC-100x100.png 100w, https:\/\/samilia.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/smurf-UNODC.png 480w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/p>&#13;\n\r\n\r\n&#13;\n<p>Belgium has long been at the forefront in combating human trafficking. By leading global efforts through the United Nations, Belgium supports the provision of essential financial, humanitarian, and legal assistance directly to victims in countries of origin, transit, and destination. <\/p>&#13;\n\r\n\r\n&#13;\n<p>Through its participation in the Blue Heart Campaign against human trafficking, Belgium joins countries around the world in sending a clear message. Given the transnational implications for human security and international stability, solidarity with victims of human trafficking is essential. \u201cHuman trafficking is a global threat that requires a global response,\u201d stated Philippe Goffin, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Defense.  <\/p>&#13;\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2><strong>Manneken-Pis Commits to Ending Human Trafficking<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n<p>\u00c0 cette occasion, la figure cl\u00e9 du folklore bruxellois, Manneken-Pis, re\u00e7oit de l&#8217;Office des Nations Unies contre la drogue et le crime (ONUDC) son 1 047e costume inspir\u00e9 de la Campagne C\u0153ur Bleu. Le costume est d\u00e9voil\u00e9 au grand public, \u00e0 midi le 30 juillet, en pr\u00e9sence de l&#8217;Ordre des Amis de Manneken-Pis, amis et partenaires unis dans la lutte contre la traite des \u00eatres humains. Sont pr\u00e9sents le gouvernement belge repr\u00e9sent\u00e9 par les minist\u00e8res de la Justice et des Affaires \u00e9trang\u00e8res et de la D\u00e9fense, le Centre f\u00e9d\u00e9ral des migrations Myria, la police f\u00e9d\u00e9rale, les centres d&#8217;h\u00e9bergement sp\u00e9cialis\u00e9s pour les victimes PAG-ASA et Payoke, la Fondation Samila, les Panth\u00e8res rouges, les Schtroumpfs, et bien d\u2019autres. <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-4284\" src=\"https:\/\/samilia.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/index.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/samilia.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/index.jpg 225w, https:\/\/samilia.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/index-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/samilia.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/index-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/> \u00ab\u00a0L&#8217;audace de Manneken-Pis est celle d&#8217;un enfant libre dans une ville libre qui ne tol\u00e8re pas l&#8217;oppression. Le nouveau costume &#8221; Blue Heart &#8221; a sa place dans la garde-robe de notre petit bonhomme. Nous sommes particuli\u00e8rement heureux d&#8217;impliquer la Ville de Bruxelles, dont il est le symbole, dans la lutte contre toutes les formes de traite et d&#8217;exploitation des \u00eatres humains \u00bb, d\u00e9clare Philippe Close, bourgmestre de la Ville de Bruxelles. Le directeur de la Division de l\u2019analyse des politiques et des affaires publiques de l\u2019ONUDC, M. Jean-Luc Lemahieu, d\u00e9clare que \u00ab le soutien de Manneken-Pis \u00e0 la lutte mondiale contre la traite des \u00eatres humains est embl\u00e9matique et envoie un message puissant. Non seulement cela montre l&#8217;engagement de la Ville de Bruxelles \u00e0 d\u00e9ployer des efforts communs contre ce crime odieux, mais il souligne \u00e9galement la n\u00e9cessit\u00e9 fondamentale de prot\u00e9ger les enfants, qui sont les victimes les plus vuln\u00e9rables du monde \u00bb. \u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\r\n<h2><strong data-rich-text-format-boundary=\"true\">Ombres : les victimes ont des noms<\/strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-4286 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/samilia.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ombres-pagasa.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"267\" \/><\/h2>\r\n<p>During this day, the shadows of victims will be represented on the ground at the Carrefour de l\u2019Europe in Brussels. With this initiative, PAG-ASA (the specialized shelter for trafficking victims based in Brussels) aims to symbolically reveal the presence of thousands of exploited victims in Belgium. A QR code allows viewers to access the stories of the victims behind the shadows. PAG-ASA staff and volunteers will alert passersby to raise awareness of the proximity and ubiquity of this crime. \u201cEvery year, we support more than 200 victims in their recovery process, but today we are here especially for all the invisible victims who remain in the shadows. We hope to open people\u2019s eyes to see the victims and call for support,\u201d says Sarah De Hovre, Director of PAG-ASA.     <\/p>\r\n<h2><strong>Cities in Blue to Denounce Exploitation<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-4288\" src=\"https:\/\/samilia.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/grand-place-de-bruxelles-illuminee.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"303\" height=\"166\" \/> Au coucher du soleil, les villes de Bruxelles, Bruges et Gand \u00e9claireront en bleu leurs h\u00f4tels de ville et autres b\u00e2timents embl\u00e9matiques pour inciter les gouvernements, la soci\u00e9t\u00e9 civile, le secteur priv\u00e9 et les particuliers \u00e0 agir. La couleur bleue fait r\u00e9f\u00e9rence au c\u0153ur bleu, le symbole international contre la traite des \u00eatres humains, repr\u00e9sentant la tristesse de ceux qui en sont victimes tout en nous rappelant la froideur de ceux qui ach\u00e8tent et vendent des \u00eatres humains. \u00a0<\/p>\r\n<h2>Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children<\/h2>\r\n<p>Human trafficking is a serious crime and a violation of human rights. Each year, thousands of men, women, and children fall into the hands of traffickers in their own country or abroad. All states are affected by human trafficking, either as countries of origin, transit, or destination for victims. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.unodc.org\/unodc\/fr\/\">The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)<\/a>, guardian of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.unodc.org\/documents\/treaties\/UNTOC\/Publications\/TOC%20Convention\/TOCebook-f.pdf\">UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its related protocols,<\/a> assists states in implementing the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons.   <\/p>\r\n&#13;\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/treaties.un.org\/Pages\/ViewDetails.aspx?chapter=18&amp;lang=fr&amp;mtdsg_no=XVIII-12-a&amp;src=IND\">The Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/treaties.un.org\/Pages\/ViewDetails.aspx?chapter=18&amp;lang=fr&amp;mtdsg_no=XVIII-12-a&amp;src=IND\">was adopted<\/a> by UN General Assembly Resolution <a href=\"https:\/\/undocs.org\/fr\/A\/RES\/55\/25\">A\/RES\/55\/25<\/a>. It is the first international legal instrument to include a consensual definition of human trafficking. The aim of this definition is to facilitate alignment of national approaches to establish criminal offenses that allow effective international cooperation in prosecuting trafficking cases. The Protocol also aims to protect and assist victims of trafficking in accordance with their fundamental rights.   <\/p>&#13;\n\r\n\r\n&#13;\n<p>The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed July 30 as World Day Against Trafficking in Persons in<a href=\"http:\/\/undocs.org\/fr\/A\/RES\/68\/192\"> Resolution A\/RES\/68\/192<\/a>.<\/p>&#13;\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#13; On July 30, 2020, the Samilia Foundation, in partnership with UNODC, wished to &#13; &#13; honor the people on the front lines. &#13;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[157],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5183","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/samilia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5183","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/samilia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/samilia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samilia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samilia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5183"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/samilia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5183\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5184,"href":"https:\/\/samilia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5183\/revisions\/5184"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/samilia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5183"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samilia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5183"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samilia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5183"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}