VIENNA, 6 February (United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking) – A unique coalition of six multilateral organisations is coming together with NGOs from across the world and international companies to launch a global fight against human trafficking. The Vienna Forum, which is being hosted by the United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UN.GIFT), will take place in Vienna, Austria, 13-15 February 2008.
Over a thousand participants will convene in Vienna to mobilise resources, co-ordinate international action and empower people to fight the crime in the first global forum to tackle human trafficking. Celebrities and public figures from across the world – including Suzanne Mubarak, the First Lady of Egypt; Emma Thompson, the Oscar-winning actress; and Ricky Martin, the Grammy Award-winning pop star and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador - will be participating.
With millions of victims, in an industry generating tens of billions of dollars each year, human trafficking is “the hidden crime of globalization”. The Forum aims to put the crime on the global agenda and raise awareness of people’s everyday complicity in “a crime that shames us all”.*
UN.GIFT was established in recognition of the fact that human trafficking takes many forms and that a co-ordinated and united approach is required. UN.GIFT was launched in March 2007 by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) together with the International Labour Organization (ILO); the International Organization for Migration (IOM); the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF); the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR) and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). International companies participating in the Forum include Microsoft and GAP.
Further information
For further information, including the provisional programme of the Forum, please visit www.ungift.org News releases, images and video content will be uploaded to this website throughout the Forum.
Media accreditation
All media are warmly invited to attend the Forum. For further information on accreditation, please click here.
Media bids and enquiries
For press enquiries, please contact:
· Robert Watkinson; robert.watkinson@portlandpr.co.uk; tel: + 44 7984 433 486
· Hannah McCullagh; hannah.mccullagh@portlandpr.co.uk; tel: +44 7739 147 841
For broadcast enquiries, please contact:
· Faridoun Hemani; fhemani@linxproductions.com; tel: +44 7748 648 355
· James Thomas; jthomas@linxproductions.com; tel:+44 7795 490 724
Press and broadcast bids can also be directed to press@ungift.org
Technical note for broadcasters
Copyright-free broadcast quality video illustrating human trafficking will be available via tape and online, as will video Public Service Announcements, and highlights from the Vienna Forum.
Additionally, a limited amount of free TV satellite transmission time, including uplink and space segment, will be made available throughout the Vienna Forum for TV broadcasters wishing to transmit pre-recorded or live inserts to their programmes.
For more information please contact ungift@linxproductions.com
