National statement by Sweden at High level meeting on Human Trafficking

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Mr President, Honourable Members of the General Assembly, Participants and colleagues,

Sweden aligns itself with the EU statement and I would like to add the following in my national capacity. 

It is now 15 years since the adoption of the UN Strategy on Combatting Trafficking in Persons. We have come a long way, but we are still far from where we want to be. The number of victims continues to rise. More children are being exploited. New and insidious forms of trafficking are emerging. And the online dimension is multiplying the challenges before us. We need to do better, much better.

Sweden urges all countries to continue implementation of the strategy. I would like to thank the UNODC for tirelessly helping us to enhance our capacities and producing valuable new research to underpin and direct our action. 

I want to share with you what Sweden believes are the most pressing needs in the years ahead.

First of all, we need to recognize that trafficking is a major source of income for the criminal networks. We must go much further: dismantle their business models, strip away their profits, and raise the stakes so that crime no longer pays. 

The obvious paths to follow are better information sharing across borders, swifter judicial cooperation, more use of financial investigations and a focus on corruption as a powerful enabler. We should harness digital advancements to serve our needs.

Secondly, a broad societal commitment and strong coordination across sectors is paramount, putting the victims of crime and preventive measures at the centre. This is why, we are currently updating Sweden’s dedicated action plan - making it sharper and more forward looking. And the Government has allocated approximately 1.5 million USD per year for the next 3 years to ensure efficient implementation.

Commitment will cost. In money and in efforts. But if we do not pay up, the victims of trafficking will pay a very high price. We will all suffer if organized crime is allowed to corrode our societies. Let us all be better.

To sum up, Sweden reaffirms its commitment to this important work. 

Thank you.