UN.GIFT at the first INTERPOL Global Conference on Trafficking in Human Beings

22 June 2010.- More than one hundred law enforcement officials and non-governmental agency experts from 50 countries met in Damascus from 7-9 June to participate in the Global Conference on Trafficking in Human Beings.

The Conference, the first global event organized by INTERPOL's Trafficking in Human Beings unit and the INTERPOL National Central Bureau of Syria, examined the range of strategies being implemented world-wide in the prevention and prosecution of human trafficking. The participants also reviewed implementation of strategies in protection of victims and discussed the sharing of expertise and knowledge.

Ms. Livia Wagner from UN.GIFT presented the VITA (Victim Translation Assistance) Tool to the delegates. VITA is a new tool using audio messages, which allows law enforcement officials to provide a level of basic assistance to victims of human trafficking. Human trafficking survivors contributed to the development of the messages, which were also supported by experts in human trafficking focused on victims' needs.

UN.GIFT, UNODC, the Austrian Criminal Intelligence Service and the Austrian NGO LEFOE-IBF worked together to develop the VITA Tool and  INTERPOL will support the dissemination to all national police units from its Member Countries.

Affecting every region of the world, trafficking in human beings is a high-profit, low-risk multi-million dollar criminal activity and as the world's largest police organization, INTERPOL is ideally placed to support each of its 188 member countries in combating this global crime through its global network of law enforcement tools and services.