Vietnam has joined the newly launched UN Group of Friends for Combating Technology-facilitated Trafficking in Persons, reaffirming its commitment to strengthening international cooperation in tackling human trafficking increasingly enabled by digital technologies.
The group made its debut at a ceremony in New York on June 12. The initiative, led by the Republic of Korea with support from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), has attracted broad participation from UN member states.
Addressing the event, Ambassador Do Hung Viet, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN, noted that Vietnam has witnessed a growing number of trafficking victims lured through fake online job advertisements.
Given the increasingly sophisticated tactics employed by trafficking networks, technology must become part of the solution, he stressed, noting that Vietnam is therefore promoting digital transformation, data-driven approaches and innovation to better prevention, investigation, victim identification and support efforts.
The ambassador affirmed that Vietnam attaches great importance to cooperation with countries, the UN, UNODC, and relevant partners in combating human trafficking. He also noted that the participation of several ASEAN countries as founding members reflects the region’s shared commitment to implementing the ASEAN Convention Against Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children (ACTIP).
Viet further highlighted the significance of the UN Convention against Cybercrime, also known as the Hanoi Convention, as an important framework for strengthening international cooperation against technology-enabled crimes, including human trafficking. He called on countries to continue signing and ratifying the convention to facilitate its early entry into force.
In her speech at the event, UNODC Executive Director and Director-General of the UN Office at Vienna, Austria Monica Juma described human trafficking as a serious transnational crime that violates human dignity. She warned that criminal networks are increasingly exploiting the internet, social media, artificial intelligence (AI), cryptocurrencies and other digital platforms to recruit, control and exploit victims while concealing illicit financial flows.
Representatives from participating countries shared experiences in addressing online scams, fraudulent job recruitment schemes, cyber-enabled sexual exploitation and online scam centres. They also stressed the importance of information-sharing, cross-border investigations, cooperation with the private sector and victim-centred approaches.
The UN Group of Friends for Combating Technology-facilitated Trafficking in Persons serves as an informal platform for countries to raise awareness, promote dialogue, exchange experiences and enhance cooperation in addressing trafficking crimes involving technology. The group brings together governments, international organisations, private-sector actors and technology companies to support global anti-trafficking efforts.
It currently groups 23 founding member states representing all regions of the world, including Vietnam./.
