ABSTRACT
The crime of trafficking in human beings (THB) affects virtually every country in the world, whether as countries of origin, transit, or destination for victims, and in most cases as a combination thereof. The Asia-Pacific region is most affected, 1 with an estimated two-thirds of all persons trafficked worldwide for forced labour, sexual exploitation, or forced marriage, being in the region. 2 The different forms of THB affect societies across the strata irrespective of age, sex/gender, or education level, and there are further regional differences, including in the patterns and flows of trafficking, which makes combating trafficking a very difficult undertaking. Further, as the example of Australasia shows, there are also differences – and often significant – within one region in the underlying reasons for, and forms of, trafficking that need to be accounted for when developing anti-trafficking programmes and initiatives.
