10 April 2025, Geneva, Switzerland - The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and the Sovereign Order of Malta successfully hosted a Human Rights Council side event titled, "After 25 Years of the Palermo Protocol – The Need for Real Action".
Focusing on strengthening global efforts to combat human trafficking through capacity-building and training, the event brought together a plethora of experts in the field, encouraging rich dialogue and raising awareness of the remaining pitfalls in current methods following the General Assembly Resolution 55/25 in 2000. Featuring keynote addresses and panel discussions with leading policymakers, diplomats, and experts, the event emphasized the imperative need for innovative solutions and multi-stakeholder cooperation.
Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, Ms Reem Alsalem, expressed the complexities in the legacy of the Palermo Protocol;
The protocol’s legacy is clearly a mixed one. It has provided tools and momentum, but the scale of trafficking against women and girls underscores the need for a more holistic rights-based approach that tackles root causes and prioritizes survivor empowerment over punitive measures.
Reflecting on the necessity of multinational capacity building in tackling human trafficking, H.E. Ambassador Professor Muhammadou M.O. Kah, Permanent Representative of the Republic of The Gambia to the United Nations Office in Geneva, expressed;
Capacity building is not just desirable, it is indispensable to deterring human trafficking. Without it, laws remain dormant, victims remain invisible and perpetrators remain unpunished … Human trafficking is transnational, and as such, no country can combat it alone.
UNITAR
UNITAR
UNITAR
This event marked the first initiative of the new strategic partnership between UNITAR and the Sovereign Order of Malta, which aims to address the global challenge of human trafficking through collaborative efforts over the next five years. To ensure practical application of the important discussions, the event also marked the launch of a new training programme, "Human Trafficking Online Course: The Need for Tangible Action Making A Difference".
This four-week online programme starting 20 January 2026, offers a diverse curriculum on methods in combatting human trafficking, exploring topics such as but not limited to Forced Labor & Supply Chains, Technology & AI and Migration. Taught by a distinguished panel of international experts, the programme will equip participants with knowledge and practical skills on how to best prevent and tackle human trafficking.
For more information
UNITAR
Email: info.ilp@unitar.org | Website: unitar.org
Sovereign Order of Malta
Email: info@orderofmalta.int | Website: www.orderofmalta.int
For more information, please visit the partnership page.