Statement by Denys Uliutin, Minister of Social Policy, Family and Unity of Ukraine, at the High-Level Plenary on the Global Assembly on the appraisal of the United Nations Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons

(24 November 2025)

Excellencies, 

Colleagues, 

For Ukraine, this discussion is rooted in the human consequences of war. 

Russia’s full-scale invasion has created conditions where trafficking has multiplied and transformed. 

Displacement, insecurity, and loss of livelihoods increase vulnerability, while digital platforms and AI extend traffickers’ reach far beyond borders. 

Ukraine offers a valuable experience of how trafficking evolves in conflict and how protection systems must evolve just as quickly to stop it. 

Children remain among the most vulnerable — especially those who lost or were separated from their parents. Women and children who sought safety abroad also face high risks of sexual and labour exploitation. 

Men are increasingly targeted for forced labour and conflict-related activities. 

At the same time, new and more brutal forms of exploitation have emerged: 

o the forced transfer of civilians, including children, to the Russian Federation, use of men from the occupied territories in armed conflict; 

o mixed patterns combining sexual and labour exploitation. 

We are determined not only to respond but to build stronger and more resilient systems: 

o Ukraine is preparing a new State Programme on Combating Trafficking in Persons until 2030, aligned with EU law, 

o introducing liability for legal entities, 

o establishing an independent National Rapporteur, and 

o integrating anti-trafficking measures into our wider social services — including support for internally displaced people, survivors of violence, veterans, and people returning from captivity.

But the scale and speed of trafficking today require global solutions: 

o First, we need deeper and more predictable cross-border cooperation. Victim identification and referral procedures must be harmonised. 

o Second, technology companies must take real responsibility. The misuse of social media and AI demands standards and mandatory cooperation with law enforcement. 

o Third, preventing exploitation is essential for Ukraine’s recovery. Protecting people — at home and abroad — is part of rebuilding a resilient, modern, socially inclusive country. 

o Fourth, we need stable, long-term financing for protection systems: shelters, survivor-centred services, digital case management, and reintegration support. 

We must act together with more urgency and scale. Every delay means freedom lost for another child, another woman, another man. 

Trafficking in conflict settings must be addressed through a dedicated global framework that unites protection, accountability, and safeguards against technological misuse. 

Ukraine remains fully committed to the Global Plan of Action. With our partners, we aim to emerge from this war with stronger institutions and protection systems. 

Thank you. Слава Україні!