Mr President,

Thank you very much. Germany aligns itself with the statement by the EU and its Member States.

Excellencies,

Trafficking in persons is one of the most severe human rights violations. As we have heard today, organized criminal networks are becoming more coordinated and digitally sophisticated than ever before.

Let me make three quick points on how Germany is ensuring justice for victims and holding perpetrators accountable.

First: international cooperation.

We have the international tools. The Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons is a vital tool, with its explicit condemnation of the crime and its broad ratification. And UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) is a tool we remain highly committed to and one of the most important international instruments with its Review Mechanism. And then we need international cooperation in practical terms. Especially police cooperation is important, which we work on a lot because trafficking often happens across international borders.

Second: Anti-trafficking measures need to be firmly anchored domestically.

In December 2024, Germany took a major step by adopting the comprehensive National Action Plan to Prevent and Combat Trafficking in Human Beings and Protect Trafficked Persons.

This plan contains 126 concrete measures across four key areas:
1. Better Protection for Victims
2. Stronger Law Enforcement
3. Expanded prevention efforts
4. Enhanced cooperation

We've included a monitoring system which will soon provide first results. I think our action plan sends a powerful message: We are committed to fighting this scourge.

Third: Trafficking is not something that can be combatted by governments alone.
We do need an efficient whole-of-society approaches. And we need to include an active role for civil society. And we continue to support leading umbrella organizations, such as the German NGO Network against Human Trafficking.

Because, Mr President, Excellencies:

Ending the scourge of human trafficking is a marathon, not a sprint. Long-term partnerships and funding are the key to foster reliable and effective structures. And rest assured, we remain committed to work on this.

Thank you.