Discurso do Representante Permanente, Embaixador Sérgio França Danese, na reunião de alto nível da Assembleia Geral das Nações Unidas sobre a avaliação do Plano de Ação Global das Nações Unidas para Combater o Tráfico de Pessoas - 25 de novembro de 2025 (texto em inglês)

Statement by the Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations, Ambassador Sérgio França Danese, at the High-level meeting of the General Assembly on the appraisal of the United Nations Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons
November 25th, 2025

Chair,

This High-Level Meeting is an opportunity to shed light on the dire reality of the heinous crime of trafficking in persons today.

According to the 2024 Global Report on Trafficking in Persons, the number of detected trafficking victims worldwide has risen sharply, surpassing pre-COVID levels. Most alarmingly, there has been a significant increase in child victims, which accounts for the majority of detected victims in some regions. The report also highlights a shift in trafficking purposes, with forced labor overtaking sexual exploitation. 

These alarming dynamics call for a renewed and reinforced collective response, fully aligned with the scale and urgency of the challenges before us. Trafficking in persons, like all forms of transnational organized crime, cannot be addressed by any country alone. International cooperation must be deepened and strengthened. 

Brazil has taken important steps to bolster its legal framework for international cooperation, establishing bilateral and regional agreements that balance criminal justice with prevention, protection, and victim and survivor assistance. Since 2024, Brazil has signed four bilateral instruments. MERCOSUR is set to adopt a regional agreement next month to strengthen cooperation further. Effective domestic coordination is equally critical. In 2024, Brazil launched its Fourth National Plan to Combat Trafficking in Persons.

This Plan was developed through an extensive consultation process encompassing all relevant authorities, technical experts, and civil society representatives. Civil society’s role also remains central, particularly for victim support and assistance, which is why Brazil's National Committee against Trafficking in Persons – which oversees the Plan's implementation - now has balanced representation between government and civil society. 

In closing, I would like to reaffirm Brazil’s strong commitment to strengthening both international cooperation and domestic coordination to combat and eliminate human trafficking.

I thank you.