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Trafficking in human beings: expert group GRETA releases its annual report

The Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) has published its annual report for 2021. During 2021 GRETA was able to achieve a number of milestones in spite of the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and continued to develop its cooperation with other Council of Europe bodies, other international organisations and civil society to prevent and combat human trafficking. It carried out ten country evaluation visits and adopted third round evaluation reports on six countries (France, Latvia, Malta, Montenegro, Romania and the United Kingdom). Israel became the second Council of Europe non-member state to accede to the anti-trafficking convention.

In the report, GRETA’s president Helga Gayer stresses that child trafficking has continued to increase despite legislative and policy measures taken by states parties to the anti-trafficking convention. “The COVID-19 pandemic has made children even more vulnerable to trafficking, including exploitation online. All actors involved in action against human trafficking need to step up efforts to combat child trafficking and develop innovative approaches to protect children”, she said. The report contains the key findings and recommendations of a study on online and technology-facilitated trafficking in human beings based on information provided by 40 states parties to the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, 12 NGOs and two IT companies.

The study assesses the extent to which technology impacts human trafficking, the operational and legal challenges in detecting, investigating and prosecuting online and ICT-facilitated human trafficking offences, and contains a set of recommendations. The study also explores strategies, tools and good practices adopted by states parties to overcome such challenges. These include Internet monitoring, web-scraping tools and social network analysis. The involvement and co-operation of a wide range of agencies and knowledge sharing are crucial, as is cross-border co-operation in securing electronic evidence.

Technology-based tools to identify victims of trafficking, such as facial recognition and web-crawlers, can be valuable in performing data reduction and handling large volumes of information; however, the study points out that they raise ethical concerns and should only be employed by well-trained operators with knowledge on human trafficking. Online self-reporting mechanisms and helplines enable victims to seek assistance and disseminate information to communities at risk. The study recommends enhancing online confidential reporting mechanisms and working with private companies to set up mechanisms to flag up suspicious activities and advertisements. Countries should also develop data-sharing procedures and co-operation protocols with companies holding relevant data.

“The COVID-19 pandemic and ICT developments have produced structural changes in human traffickers´ modi operandi, which requires countries to adapt and equip their law enforcement agencies and criminal justice systems with capabilities to tackle the changing environment. To counter the use of ICTs by human traffickers, it is essential that governments invest in the training of law enforcement personnel, provide adequate resources and enhance their cooperation with private companies and with other national authorities”, said GRETA’s President Helga Gayer.

 Council of Europe: Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA)

 Council of Europe: GRETA's Annual Report (2022)

 Council of Europe: GRETA's Study on Online and Technology-Facilitated Trafficking in Human Beings (full report)

Strasbourg, France 13 July 2022
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What is cyberviolence against children?

Cyberviolence against children

The Internet exposes children to a wealth of opportunities, but also risks that may have a detrimental impact on their human rights. Some of these risks include, but are not limited to:

 

online child sexual exploitation and abuse 

online grooming

cyberbullying

online stalking

What can we do?

Given the complexity of this phenomenon, countries need to have a multidisciplinary approach.

 The first step of this process is to harmonise national legislation with the international standards of the Council of Europe Convention for the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (Lanzarote Convention) and the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime (Budapest Convention).

 However, legislation is not enough, and criminal justice authorities require additional capacities, especially law enforcement and the judiciary. The main challenges they face are posed by new technologies, collection of electronic evidence and international cooperation.

 In this regard, the Council of Europe implements a number of capacity building projects aiming to address this challenge:

What are the Council of Europe instruments?

Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime (Budapest Convention)

One of the aims of the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime (also known as the "Budapest Convention")  is to modernise criminal law provisions to prevent computer systems from being used to facilitate sexual abuse and exploitation of children. The Convention seeks to strengthen protective measures for children against sexual exploitation, by criminalizing various aspects of electronic production, possession and distribution of child pornography (Article 9).

Furthermore, the Convention introduces procedural law measures and sets up a fast and effective regime of international cooperation to enable investigation of offences related to cyberviolence, allowing for preservation and collection of electronic evidence.

Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (Lanzarote Convention)

The Council of Europe Convention on the protection of children against sexual exploitation and sexual abuse, also known as “the Lanzarote Convention”, is a human rights treaty specifically dedicated to preventing and responding to all forms of sexual violence against children.

By putting children’s rights at its heart, it adopts a victim-centred approach with far reaching provisions that improve systems and services, therefore helping States to fight against all forms of violence against children.

Interpretative Opinion on the applicability of the Lanzarote Convention to sexual offences against children facilitated through the use of information and communication technologies

As information and communication technologies (ICTs) have created new means for sexual offenders to target and harm children, means which were not known to the same extent as today at the time of adoption of the Lanzarote Convention, the Lanzarote Committee released an Interpretative Opinion on the applicability of the Lanzarote Convention to sexual offences against children facilitated through the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) (12 May 2017). 

 

Synergies between the Budapest and Lanzarote Conventions

Both the Budapest and Lanzarote Conventions are open to accession by any country in the world, inspiring legislation and policies in all regions, helping countries and organisations to deliver on their commitment towards the UN SDGs.

While the Lanzarote Convention sets the ground for criminalizing sexual abuse and exploitation offences, the Budapest Convention provides the relevant procedural framework for investigations, collection of electronic evidence and international cooperation.

Statistics

 Statistics 

 

Globally, 1 in 5 girls
and 1 in 13 boys

have been sexually exploited or abused
before reaching the age of 18

*United Nations Children’s Fund (2021): Ending online child sexual exploitation and abuse. Lessons learned and promising practices in low- and middle-income countries, UNICEF, New York

In 2021, 7 in 10 of the reports assessed by the Internet Watch Foundation
 contained online imagery of children being sexually abused
97% of the identified child sexual abuse material showed girls

* Internet Watch Foundation (2021): Annual Report

68% of the reports assessed by Internet Watch Foundation in 2021
contained online imagery of children aged 11 to 13

* Internet Watch Foundation (2021): Annual Report

Initiatives on Cyberviolence against children
education and prevention
 "VAC Clearinghouse” – an online platform set up by the Council of Europe meant to facilitate access to various resources on violence against children with a view to support all stakeholders and partners involved in developing effective responses.