EU Statement at the end of the 35th session of CCPCJ35 on the resolution sponsored by Kazakhstan, co-sponsored by Belarus, on countering trafficking in persons for the purpose[...]

EU Statement at the end of the 35th session of CCPCJ35 on the resolution sponsored by Kazakhstan, co-sponsored by Belarus, on countering trafficking in persons for the purpose of forced criminality, 5 June 2026

Chair,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States to make a general statement.

The EU reiterates its strong attachment to the great importance of the topics of the three resolutions discussed at the 35^th session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, including the fight against trafficking in persons. We will remain committed to a comprehensive and human rights-based, gender-responsive and child-sensitive approach, in line with obligations under international law, including the UNTOC Protocol to Prevent, Supress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children.

This approach is consistent with our firm support for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals.

We support the UNODC through substantial funding, policy cooperation and capacity-building programmes aimed at preventing and combating trafficking in persons, including trafficking for the purpose of forced criminality. Through initiatives such as PACTS and GLO-ACT, the EU helps strengthen legislation, victim identification, international cooperation and prosecutorial capacities, while promoting a victim-centred and rights-based approach that recognises trafficked persons exploited in criminal activities as victims rather than offenders.

We welcome that the issue of trafficking in human beings was tackled at the 35^th Session of the CCPCJ and the ensuing consensus on this important and timely resolution which strongly condemns the trafficking in persons for the purpose of forced criminality as a grave violation of human rights.

However, we regret that the final version of the resolution does not include any references to the Sustainable Development Goals nor to a gender-responsive approach. We believe this is a significant omission. Gender inequality and discrimination are among the root causes that increase vulnerability to trafficking in persons, while women and girls continue to be disproportionately affected by many forms of exploitation. We didn't stand in the way of consensus today, but our determination to support SDGs and a gender-responsive approach is intact.

We also regret the co-sponsorship of Belarus, a country that violates its obligations under international law, in particular international human rights law, through its involvement in Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and its instrumentalization of migration. While the EU supports the objective and substance of this resolution, we will continue to oppose any self-proclaimed leadership by Belarus on actions against trafficking in persons.

We sincerely thank you, Chair, for your leadership and for having brought this session to a successful outcome. Again, we also thank the Chair of the CoW and the Secretariat for their tireless work.

Thank you, Chair.