A call to end child trafficking: OSCE to hold 25th Alliance against Trafficking in Persons Conference

VIENNA, 19 March 2025 – From 31 March to 1 April, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe will be hosting the 25th Conference of the Alliance against Trafficking in Persons at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna.

This year’s Alliance Conference, taking place under the theme “Protecting Childhoods, Shaping Futures: A Call to End Child Trafficking”, will provide an opportunity for key stakeholders to reflect on two decades of efforts to combat child trafficking within the OSCE region. The event will take place against the backdrop of alarming statistics on the increasing rates of child trafficking globally, which have tripled over the past 15 years.

Each year, the conference gathers representatives from national authorities, international and civil society organizations, and the private sector from across the region to provide a platform for discussion, amplify existing efforts and forge new solutions in the fight against human trafficking.

The two-day conference will consist of three main panels:

1. The Evolving Landscape of Child Trafficking: Trends and Patterns
2. From Vulnerability to Protection: Addressing Risks in Child Trafficking
3. “It Takes a Village to Raise a Child” – And a Whole Society to End Child Trafficking

Speakers include OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings Kari Johnstone, OSCE Secretary General Feridun H. Sinirlioğlu, Finnish Minister of Justice Leena Meri, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights Maria Telalian, UN Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, especially in women and children, Siobhán Mullally,  artist and survivor of child trafficking Laurent Ziegler, Secretary General of the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children Stephen Kavanagh, Chief of Research and Trend Analysis at UNODC Angela Me and Sosa Henkoma, expert by experience in criminal child exploitation.

The conference will be conducted in person. It will also be livestreamed on osce.org/live

Journalists are welcome to register and participate. Each panel discussion will be followed by Q&A session. The OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Human Trafficking, Dr. Kari Johnstone is also available for interviews on the topic of child trafficking – interested journalists should contact Lilia Rotoloni (Lilia.Rotoloni@osce.org). 

Registration for participation will be open until 24 March at 17:00 CEST (UTC/GMT+2).

Follow @osce_cthb on X and @OSCE Combating Trafficking in Human Beings (CTHB) on LinkedIn, using the hashtag #cthb25 to join the discussion.