Monaco reaffirms its commitment to tackling human trafficking in sport

Monaco réaffirme son engagement contre la traite des personnes dans le sport ©DR

On 24 November, the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted the political declaration on implementing the Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons.

Trafficking of young athletes between West Africa and Europe has risen by more than 30% since 2018. In her address, H.E. Ms Isabelle Picco, Ambassador and Permanent Representative, condemned the criminal networks that operate through rogue agents or unregulated sports academies.

She also spoke about the partnership between the Group of Friends of Sport for Sustainable Development - co-chaired by Monaco and Qatar - and the NGO Mission 89, which has developed a pioneering definition of sport-related trafficking (in, around, and through sport). The Ambassador noted that Mission 89’s work is helping to expose and prevent practices that have gone unnoticed for far too long, and praised the impact of the “The Line We Don’t Cross” campaign, which has already raised awareness among more than 15 million people.

Finally, Ambassador Picco mentioned Monaco’s numerous partnerships, including with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, and called for stronger prevention policies, more protection for victims, and more reliable data collection so countries can respond effectively to the challenges identified in the Global Plan of Action.