OEA - CP- Resolución XXXIX 8 RTP VIII 2 rev 1

PERMANENT COUNCIL OF THE OEA/Ser.K/XXXIX.8

ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES RTP-VIII/doc.2/26 rev. 1 15 May 2026

COMMITTEE ON HEMISPHERIC SECURITY Original: Spanish

Eighth Meeting of National Authorities on Trafficking in Persons May 14 to 15, 2026 Washington, D.C.

DRAFT RECOMMENDATIONS

OF THE EIGHTH MEETING OF NATIONAL AUTHORITIES

ON TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS

(Agreed upon by the Committee on May 8, 2026, and forwarded to the Eighth Meeting of National Authorities on Trafficking in Persons for consideration)

We, the National Authorities on Trafficking in Persons of the member states of the Organization of American States (OAS), or their officially appointed representatives, meeting in Washington, D.C., from May 14 to 15, 2026, on the occasion of the Eighth Mee ting of National Authorities, chaired by the Government of Guatemala, through the Secretariat against Sexual Violence, Exploitation, and Trafficking in Persons and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs;

RECOGNIZING that trafficking in persons constitutes a serious violation of the human rights and freedom of individuals, particularly those in situations of vulnerability;

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT the commitments undertaken by the member states under the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (Palermo Convention) and its Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children (Trafficking in Persons Protocol or Palermo Protocol), to which all member states are parties;

STRESSING the importance of the Third Work Plan for a Comprehensive Response to Trafficking in Persons in the Western Hemisphere (2023 –2028) (Third Work Plan on Trafficking in Persons) adopted by the OAS General Assembly in resolution AG/RES. 3009 (LIII-O/23), as a strategic framework for strengthening regional cooperation and comprehensive responses to this crime;

Trafficking in Persons in the Western Hemisphere (2023 –2028) (Third Work Plan on Trafficking in Persons) adopted by the OAS General Assembly in resolution AG/RES. 3009 (LIII-O/23), as a strategic framework for strengthening regional cooperation and comprehensive responses to this crime;

RECALLING the OAS Charter, the mandates adopted by the OAS General Assembly; the Third Work Plan on Trafficking in Persons; the Inter -American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of Violence against Women (Convention of Belém do Pará, 1994); the standards of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR); resolution 1/26 “Organized Crime and Human Rights in the Americas” adopted by the IACHR in 2026; the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man; the Additional Protocol to the American Convention on Human Rights in the Area of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, “Protocol of San Salvador; the American Convention on Human Rights (in particular, the provisions regarding the pr otection of children); the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child; the2Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography; the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples; the InterAmerican Convention on International Traffic in Minors; International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention No. 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour; ILO Convention No. 97 concerning Migration for Employment (Revised 1949); ILO Convention No. 143 concerning Migrant Workers (Supplementary Provisions), 1975; the ILO Multilateral Framework on Labour Migration (2006); the relevant resolutions adopted by the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council, and the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice of the United Nations; the Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons; the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;1/2/ and other relevant regional and international instruments;

Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice of the United Nations; the Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons; the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;1/2/ and other relevant regional and international instruments;

RECOGNIZING the increasing complexity of modalities of trafficking in persons, including ones linked to sexual exploitation, forced labor and/or servitude, forced criminality, the recruitment of children and adolescents by organized criminal groups, and th e use of digital environments for the recruitment of victims;

NOTING with concern the increasing number of victims of human trafficking in all regions of the world, which disproportionately affects women and girls, including for the purposes of sexual exploitation and organ removal.

CONSIDERING that trafficking in persons is a criminal offense largely perpetrated by organized criminal groups, at both the national and transnational levels, and is characterized by its evolving and multidimensional nature, which requires strengthening national and regional information systems, including through the collection and analysis of internationally comparable data, the identification of emerging modalities, particularly in digital environments and online platforms, and the incorporation of victims’ and survivors’ experiences to assess the effectiveness of mechanisms for protection, prevention, and access to justice, in order to guide evidence-based public policies centered on the human rights of affected persons;

EMPHASIZING the importance of strengthening comprehensive responses based on the pillars of prevention, protection and comprehensive reparation for victims of trafficking, criminal prosecution, and international cooperation to prevent and address trafficki ng in persons, including strengthening investigative capacities and, in particular, financial investigations to dismantle criminal networks; and recognizing that the protection of victims is enhanced through the dismantling of the structures that commit an d underpin this crime, as well as the use of seized assets to provide comprehensive reparation to victims;

UNDERSCORING the importance of adopting differentiated human rights -based approaches focused on victims and survivors, and that promote interagency and international cooperation;

RECOGNIZING the value of the participation of civil society, survivors, international and

comprehensive reparation to victims;

UNDERSCORING the importance of adopting differentiated human rights -based approaches focused on victims and survivors, and that promote interagency and international cooperation;

RECOGNIZING the value of the participation of civil society, survivors, international and regional agencies, and the private sector in efforts to prevent and combat trafficking in persons; and

1. The Republic of Paraguay understands that the commitments contained in the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals are voluntary and will be applicable ...

2. The Argentine Republic and the United States reaffirm their commitment to the protection of the individual rights of all persons, without distinction, in keeping with the obligations ...- 3RECOGNIZING ALSO the need to adapt public policies to the new challenges posed by emerging forms of trafficking in persons, including those facilitated by digital technologies and those related to trafficking for reproductive exploitation;

MAKE THE FOLLOWING RECOMMENDATIONS:

Trafficking in persons for the purpose of recruitment and/or forced criminality of minors by persons and organized criminal groups

1. Strengthen regulatory and legislative frameworks to prevent, combat, and punish trafficking in persons for the purpose of recruitment of children and adolescents by individuals and organized criminal groups. To that end, establish that, when the constituen t elements of the crime the Palermo Protocol are present, the consent of minor victims is immaterial, consistent with the United Nations Protocol against Trafficking in Persons and the General Guidelines of the Third for a Comprehensive Response to Traffic king in Persons in the Western Hemisphere (2023 –2028).3 / Likewise, ensure that the principle of non -punishment4/ of victims who have committed criminal acts while being exploited is applied.5/

2. Develop comprehensive prevention and awareness -raising strategies that include community, educational, vocational, cultural, and social inclusion programs aimed at reducing vulnerability and risk factors, and strengthen mechanisms for early detection and i dentification, referral, and protection of at -risk children and adolescents, through interagency coordination among

2. Develop comprehensive prevention and awareness -raising strategies that include community, educational, vocational, cultural, and social inclusion programs aimed at reducing vulnerability and risk factors, and strengthen mechanisms for early detection and i dentification, referral, and protection of at -risk children and adolescents, through interagency coordination among authorities on child protection, public security, education, shelter institutions, and social inclusion services.

3. Build institutional capacities to prevent, detect, and prosecute the recruitment and exploitation of children and adolescents through the use of digital technologies and social media. In addition, promote the establishment of requirements for technology co mpanies to expedite the development of methods to detect activities related to trafficking in persons online, in particular the trafficking of children and adolescents, and to ensure that material related to their exploitation is removed from online platforms, in order to avert revictimization and continued harm.

4. Strengthen regional and international operational cooperation through the rapid exchange of information for proactive prevention, the early detection of possible victims, the combating of crime, and the implementation of coordinated operations, where appropriate, through the use of international police channels, such as INTERPOL and AMERIPOL, as well as judicial networks, such as the Ibero-American Network of Specialized Prosecutors against Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants (REDTRAM) and other police cooperation networks.

5. Strengthen interagency and intersectoral coordination for the prevention, care, and protection of child and adolescent victims of trafficking in persons for the purpose of recruitment and/or

3. OAS (2024), Third Work Plan for a Comprehensive Response to Trafficking in Persons (2023-2028), available on the website of the Inter-American Network for the Prevention of Violence and Crime.

4. ICAT (2020) available at the following link: https://www.unodc.org/documents/humantrafficking/ICAT/19-10800_ICAT_Issue_Brief_8_Ebook.pdf.

5. Recommendations of the Sixth Meeting of National Authorities on Trafficking in Persons, 2021, document RTP-VI/doc.4/21 rev. 14forced criminality of minors by persons and organized criminal groups, prioritizing early detection and the activation of protection mechanisms that ensure attention to primary needs, as well as access to basic and specialized services, and mechanisms for disengagement from organized criminal groups.

Trafficking in persons for the purpose of forced labor and/or servitude in the context of labor mobility

6. Without prejudice to other equally relevant forms of exploitation, such as sexual exploitation and that which affects children and adolescents, and subject to domestic laws, regulations, and standards, strengthen regulatory and legislative frameworks and policies on labor, as well as labor inspection processes and supervisory mechanisms in economic sectors with a high risk of forced labor and/or servitude, including the obligation of companies to exercise human -rights due diligence throughout their supply chains, through the identification, prevention, mitigation and accountability of risks of forced labor and human trafficking; establish confidential reporting channels; apply the principle of non -punishment of victims of trafficking, including migrants; and promote appropriate accountability measures or sanctions, as applicable, for individual and corporate employers responsible for the recruitment, placement, and/or exploitation of persons.

7. Strengthen national, binational and international coordination among immigration, police, labor, consular, victim assistance and protection, and judicial authorities to improve early detection, identification, and comprehensive assistance to victims of tra fficking in persons for forced labor and/or servitude in labor mobility contexts; in addition, promote the development of interagency protocols of action; the exchange of information; and operational cooperation, including joint investigations; and the par ticipation of civil society organizations in mechanisms for referral, care,

labor and/or servitude in labor mobility contexts; in addition, promote the development of interagency protocols of action; the exchange of information; and operational cooperation, including joint investigations; and the par ticipation of civil society organizations in mechanisms for referral, care, repatriation, and safe return with a focus on reintegration of identified victims.

8. Promote ethical and transparent hiring practices that ensure fair working conditions and reduce the risks of trafficking in persons for the purpose of forced labor and/or servitude, and urge member states to strengthen the regulation, oversight, and accountability of labor recruitment agencies, companies in various service sectors such as agriculture, textiles, and construction, as well as call centers, tourism service providers, among others, including mechanisms for hiring migrants, monitoring, and inspection.

9. Promote the use of joint investigation teams (JITs) among states, especially in cases of trafficking in persons for purposes of forced labor and/or servitude in the context of labor mobility, as a mechanism to facilitate the production of evidence, coordin ated action, and the dismantling of criminal networks.

10. Strengthen the creation and consolidation of national joint task forces or interdisciplinary working groups specializing in the investigation of trafficking in persons for forced labor and/or servitude in labor mobility contexts, bringing together police, immigration, financial, and judicial authorities, with a focus on structured investigations and a coordinated response to organized crime linked to trafficking in persons.

11. Promote the development of instruments and standards for differentiated and intersectional care, especially with regard to persons in vulnerable situations, for victims of trafficking5in persons, including those trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and/or servitude, to be used as guidance for a specialized approach by multidisciplinary teams providing such services.6/7/8/9/

12. Implement prevention measures and information campaigns that address the methods, strategies, and mechanisms used by traffickers, such as the use of false offers of employment abroad to recruit victims, as well as scams, deception, and debt bondage used to control or manipulate victims

12. Implement prevention measures and information campaigns that address the methods, strategies, and mechanisms used by traffickers, such as the use of false offers of employment abroad to recruit victims, as well as scams, deception, and debt bondage used to control or manipulate victims during exploitation.

13. Promote information campaigns and prevention measures focused on the methods, strategies, and mechanisms used by human traffickers to recruit, solicit, and manipulate victims in the context of emerging forms of trafficking in persons, including those facilitated by digital technologies and those related to trafficking in persons for the purpose of reproductive exploitation.

14. Promote targeted interventions in territories with a high incidence of labor mobility through differentiated strategies in border zones, logistics corridors, and areas affected by illegal economies.

Dignified and transformative reparation for trafficking victims

15. Promote legal frameworks and international standards that guarantee the right of victims of trafficking in persons to comprehensive reparation that includes restitution, compensation, rehabilitation, and guarantees of non-repetition, in accordance with national legal systems and subject to the progressive adoption of such measures, in accordance with the institutional capacities of each

State.

16. Strengthen national reparation and redress mechanisms for victims of trafficking in persons, in accordance with international standards, ensuring that victims have effective and timely access to them without excessive procedural burdens. To that end, promo te the establishment of comprehensive reparation measures, including the creation or expansion of compensation funds and other redress or reparation mechanisms provided for in the national legal system, as well as the consideration of asset forfeiture and the use of assets seized from criminal activities, among other sources regulated at the domestic levelin accordance with national legal systems and subject to the progressive adoption of such measures, in accordance with the institutional capacities of each State.

17. Promote the safe, ethical, and meaningful participation of survivors in designing, implementing, and evaluating public policies regarding the response to trafficking in persons, ensuring that such participation is based on a victim - and survivorcentered approach, guarantees full respect

17. Promote the safe, ethical, and meaningful participation of survivors in designing, implementing, and evaluating public policies regarding the response to trafficking in persons, ensuring that such participation is based on a victim - and survivorcentered approach, guarantees full respect for their rights, and has a real impact on policies, laws, and programs, ensuring that such participation is voluntary, informed, and safe, with guarantees of confidentiality and non-revictimization.

6. The Republic of Paraguay expresses its reservation regarding the use of the term “intersectional” in paragraph 11 of these recommendations. It is placed on record that ...

7. The Argentine Republic and the United States understand that intersectionality is a theory of antidiscrimination law regarding which scientific consensus has not been reached. Intersection ...

8. The Republic of El Salvador sets down its reservation to any interpretation or application of the terms contained in paragraph 11 that, by their nature and scope, ...

9. The Dominican Republic considers it more appropriate to use the phrase "persons in a situation of vulnerability" rather than “intersectional," as it considers that ...- 618. Encourage parallel financial and wealth investigations in cases of trafficking in persons, to identify, trace, block, and seize illicit assets, contributing to the economic dismantling of criminal organizations and the comprehensive reparation of victims.

19. Strengthen actions for the social integration of victims of trafficking in persons in the economic, educational, and cultural spheres, and promote access to services that contribute to the restoration of their rights and the rebuilding of their life plans.

New challenges in measuring trafficking in persons: global data, digital environments, and the victims’ experience

20. Strengthen national information systems on trafficking in persons by harmonizing and standardizing definitions, variables, and indicators based on the International Classification of Crime for Statistical Purposes and the International Classification for A dministrative Data on Trafficking in Persons (IC-TIP), in order to improve the quality, consistency, interoperability, and comparability of data at the national, regional, and international levels.

for Statistical Purposes and the International Classification for A dministrative Data on Trafficking in Persons (IC-TIP), in order to improve the quality, consistency, interoperability, and comparability of data at the national, regional, and international levels.

21. Incorporate, within those systems, disaggregation variables related to the use of digital technologies in the various stages trafficking in persons, particularly recruitment, in order to determine whether such conduct occurs in digital environments, including social media, online platforms, or other technological means, consistent with the methodological guidelines of the relevant international classifications.

22. Promote the establishment of strategic partnerships among public entities, the private sector, civil society, and international organizations oriented toward job market insertion, access to education, technical training, and skills development for victims of human trafficking, prioritizing their implementation in high -crime areas, with the aim of ensuring economic independence, facilitating social reintegration, and preventing re-victimization or a return to situations of exploitation.

23. Promote the active participation of OAS member states in the processes of gathering information for the Global Report on Trafficking in Persons , in order to improve the availability and comparability of data at the regional and international levels.

24. Promote the exchange of experiences in addressing trafficking in persons, including the collection and analysis of statistical data in regional forums such as the Regional Coalition against Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants (CORETT), the Spe cialized Regional Platform against Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants (PRETT), and REDTRAM, as well as among national commissions on trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants, prosecutors, judges, and police.

25. Recognize the work carried out in the development of the proposed indicators for the Third Work Plan for Comprehensive Responses to Trafficking in Persons in the Western Hemisphere (2023–2028), and recommend to the Committee on Hemispheric Security that, t hrough the Working Group on Trafficking in Persons, it continue consideration of the proposal with a view to advancing its

Third Work Plan for Comprehensive Responses to Trafficking in Persons in the Western Hemisphere (2023–2028), and recommend to the Committee on Hemispheric Security that, t hrough the Working Group on Trafficking in Persons, it continue consideration of the proposal with a view to advancing its consolidation and subsequent submission to the Permanent Council for consideration in the second half of 2026. Likewise, to encourage the adoption and incorporation of the Guidelines of the aforementioned Plan into national public policies, in accordance with the domestic legal framework of each state.- 726. Extend the Third Work Plan (2023 -2028) for five years until 2033 and to consider a review by member states of its Guidelines and associated indicators in 2029, without prejudice to the prerogative of member states to assess, in their respective national co ntexts, the relevance and implications of such an extension.

27. Incorporate secure mechanisms to evaluate access to, and the quality and effectiveness of, assistance, protection, and access-to-justice services, guaranteeing the principles of confidentiality, informed consent, and non -revictimization, with the aim of st rengthening the quality, relevance, and effectiveness of services to ensure that state responses are aligned with victims’ needs and rights.

28. Promote the specialization of investigative units and the use of data analysis and intelligence, including technological tools, to identify patterns, routes, and emerging modalities of operation of trafficking in persons networks.

29. Promote cooperation among specialized trafficking in persons units and cybercrime and cybersecurity units in order to strengthen the investigation, prosecution, and punishment of the crime, as well as a specialized approach to victims.- 8FOOTNOTES 1. ... taking into account countries’ different realities, capabilities, and levels of development; their constitutions and domestic systems of laws; and their cultural traditions and values.

2. … expressly agreed upon in the international treaties to which they are party. And they note that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is composed of legally non -binding aspirations that each

their constitutions and domestic systems of laws; and their cultural traditions and values.

2. … expressly agreed upon in the international treaties to which they are party. And they note that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is composed of legally non -binding aspirations that each State, in the exercise of its sovereignty, has the right to interpret and the liberty to pursue.

6. … the aforementioned paragraph will be interpreted in accordance with its domestic legal framework.

7. … creates anti-discrimination categories, with the risk that persons will be assigned to one or another and perpetuating discriminatory stereotypes. In addition, intersectionality theory refers only to a portion of potential victims of trafficking in pers ons, focusing on populations considered to face structural or systemic forms of oppression.

8. ... conflict with its constitutional principles and domestic system of laws. It also reaffirms its commitment to promoting coordinated efforts to transform sociocultural patterns that generate violence, inequality, and discrimination in all areas.

9. … this formulation offers a more objective and operational interpretation of the scope of the provision.