Speech for the UN Resident Coordinator, Ms Antje Grawe, in the Kyrgyz Republic, "Strengthening National Response to Trafficking in Persons": A Conference on Cooperation, Coordination, and Key Lessons

Good morning everyone, 

Dear Deputy Prosecutor General, Mr. Kaimov,

Excellency, Ambassadors Viguerie,

Dear partners, state officials, 

Dear members of civil society,

It is a great honor to be here today and join the Prosecutor General and the US Ambassador in opening this conference on strengthening the national response to trafficking in persons on behalf of the United Nations System in the Kyrgyz Republic. 

I would like to start by thanking the Office of the Prosecutor General for leading the efforts on ending trafficking in persons in close coordination with all state entities. Further, I extend my deepest gratitude to the United States Government for its invaluable support and contributions to programs aimed at combating trafficking in persons. Likewise, I express my sincere appreciation to the colleagues of United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the custodian of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its supplementary protocols. These frameworks, particularly the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, form the cornerstone of our joint efforts to tackle this grave violation of human rights.

In this context, please allow me to thank the organizers for bringing us together today within the 16 Days of Activism Campaign against Gender-Based Violence. It was launched on 25 November and ends on International Human Rights Day on 10 December. Next to raising awareness, this year’s campaign is particularly focusing on strengthening accountability mechanisms and holding perpetrators of gender-based violence to account. 

Trafficking in persons, which has a strong gender aspect and is therefore also one of the many faces of gender-based violence, is a devastating crime that preys on the vulnerable and destroys lives. The statistics speak volumes: in 2023, the International Labor Organization estimated that 27.6 million people were victims of trafficking worldwide, with 77 percent subjected to forced labor and 23 percent to sexual exploitation. While these figures are shocking, they represent only part of a deeply concealed reality. 

In Kyrgyzstan, civil society identified 111 victims in 2023, including 33 cases of sex trafficking and 78 cases of forced labor. Yet, these numbers likely capture only a small fraction of the problem, as the true scale of trafficking remains largely hidden. Kyrgyzstan serves as a source, transit, and destination country for migrants, with several vulnerable groups facing heightened risks of exploitation. 

Among these are over 200,000 children of Kyrgyz migrants who live without parental care, making them particularly susceptible to trafficking, forced labor, sexual exploitation, and other forms of abuse. Another group to shed light on are migrant workers in Kyrgyzstan from South and Southeast Asia, working in the garment and construction sectors that have increased risks of exploitation and abuse, including trafficking in persons. In 2024, 15 foreign migrant workers in Kyrgyzstan sought support from the United Nations to address such issues – with rising numbers over the past years. 

The evolving nature of technology has compounded these challenges, with social media platforms increasingly misused by traffickers to recruit victims and facilitate illicit operations. This reality highlights the complexity and transnational nature of trafficking in persons, and the notably threat of social media in attracting potential victims.

The global urgency to combat this crime is reflected in Goal 16 of the Sustainable Development Goals, which calls, among others, for an end to human trafficking. Kyrgyzstan’s commitment to this cause was reaffirmed when President Japarov endorsed in September of this year the “Pact for the Future” at the Summit of the Future. This important document emphasizes even twice the need to eliminate trafficking and highlights the collective responsibility required to achieve this goal. 

However, sobering findings from the recently launched National SDG Tracker in Kyrgyzstan, developed by the United Nations in collaboration with the National Statistics Office, indicate that progress in Kyrgyzstan in addressing trafficking has been insufficient. In fact, evidence suggests regression for achieving the goal by 2030, reminding us of the urgent need for intensified efforts. 

This is not to indicate that no progress has been made. Kyrgyzstan has taken commendable steps, reaffirming the country’s commitment to protecting its citizens and playing a leading role in regional and international efforts to counter this crime. This includes the revising of its Law on Countering Trafficking in Persons, implementing a National Program and Action Plan, and adopting a National Referral Mechanism. The continued work of the Council on Migration and Trafficking in Persons, supported by UNODC, is another critical milestone.

Nevertheless, achieving the ambitious goal of eliminating trafficking by 2030 requires further action. No single actor can address this issue alone; it demands the collective efforts of government agencies, civil society, international partners, and law enforcement. The international conference hosted by UNODC earlier this year on the implementation of the Bukhara Declaration underscored the importance of partnerships in tackling this crime. Aligning Kyrgyzstan’s national efforts with international standards, such as the Palermo Protocol, strengthens our collective response and ensures a unified front.

This collective approach is particularly urgent in prevention, which must involve education, whole-of-society awareness campaigns, and addressing systemic inequalities that create vulnerabilities. Further, a united approach is crucial when it comes to victim-centered judicial and law enforcement capacities that effectively prosecute offenders and deter future crimes, notably those that are increasingly facilitated through digital platforms. Also, protection and rehabilitation services that provide survivors with the resources they need to rebuild their lives can only be expanded when bringing all stakeholders together. Finally, policy and legal frameworks dealing with labor migrants need strengthening as the country is increasingly a destination for foreign labor migration. 

The United Nations System in Kyrgyzstan stands resolutely with the government and people of this country in their pursuit of the goal to eliminate human trafficking. In the spirit of the “Leave No One Behind” pledge, we are committed to supporting a victim-centered approach with coordinated actions. This includes leveraging digital tools to enhance criminal justice responses, prioritizing education and training, and ensuring that survivors receive the protection and the care they deserve.

Thank you very much.