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HRC 62 - EU statement - Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children

22.06.2026 Press and information team of the Delegation to the UN in Geneva

United Nations Human Rights Council

62th session 

Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children

22 June 2026

EU Statement

 

Mr President

The European Union would like to thank the Special Rapporteur for the report and presentation today.

Approximately one billion children experience some form of violence each year, including physical, sexual and emotional abuse, while children in fragile and conflict-affected settings face particularly acute risks. The report’s focus on child trafficking in the context of statelessness and migration sheds light on a group that are exposed to multiple vulnerabilities - and too often falls through all safety nets. 

It is the European Union’s long-standing position that states, whether countries of origin, destination or transit, have a responsibility to take measures to prevent and fully eradicate trafficking in human beings. This includes ensuring accountability including by countering impunity for all perpetrators involved and improving the situation of victims and survivors. Effectively combatting criminal networks and other actors facilitating this deplorable practice, identifying, protecting, supporting and empowering victims and survivors of trafficking are essential in this regard. We thus call on all states to prevent trafficking in human beings, to protect victims and increase awareness among groups most at risk, maintaining a victim and survivor-centered, gender-responsive and child-sensitive approach and to ensure effective prosecution of perpetrators. 

Madam Special Rapporteur, how could we best implement the survivor-centered, gender responsive and child sensitive approaches you have mentioned? 

As this is your final report to the council as the Special Rapporteur on trafficking, let me end on a personal note by expressing our gratitude for your work and dedication to this mandate. 

Thank you.