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Welcome to this episode of the podcast, where we take a deep dive into the Global Report on Trafficking in Persons 2024, published by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. This is the seventh edition of the report, and it's a big one—spanning data from 156 countries and unpacking what’s really happening in the world of human trafficking today.

In this episode, we break down the report’s key findings, trends, and takeaways so you don’t have to sift through the whole thing yourself. From the sharp 25% global increase in detected trafficking victims since before the pandemic, to a rise in trafficking for forced criminal activity—especially linked to online scams in Southeast Asia—this report gives us a sobering look at where we stand.

We’ll also look at who the victims are—age, gender, and the types of exploitation they face—like sexual exploitation, forced labor, and now increasingly, being used in scams. Plus, we talk about the traffickers: who they are, how they operate (often as part of criminal networks), and why it’s still so hard to convict them.

There’s a special focus on Africa and Southeast Asia in this edition, and we’ll talk about why those regions are so central to the story right now. And we’ll explore how NGOs and civil society groups are sounding the alarm about gaps in victim support, public misinformation, and the deep-rooted inequalities that make people vulnerable to trafficking in the first place.

If you want to understand the global trafficking landscape, how it’s changing, and what the numbers are really telling us—this episode is for you. Let’s dig in.

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In this episode, we unpack key insights from the 2023 U.S. Trafficking in Persons Report, highlighting how human trafficking continues to evolve globally. We explore how governments, NGOs, survivors, and even banks are teaming up to fight exploitation—focusing on prosecution, protection, and prevention. The episode dives into survivor-led reform, the push to stop punishing victims for crimes they were forced into, and how modern challenges like war, climate change, and tech are making people more vulnerable. We’ll also break down the TIP Report’s ranking system and why it matters for global accountability.

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Welcome back to Paper Chains. In this episode, we dive into the 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report—the U.S. State Department’s flagship assessment of how countries around the world are fighting (or failing to fight) human trafficking. This is the report that sets the global benchmark, but it’s also one that’s dense, overwhelming, and often overlooked by the public. Our goal today is to break it down in plain language—highlighting the most disturbing trends, the countries moving forward, and the systems still letting people fall through the cracks. Last episode, we looked at the 2023 report. This time, we’re going deep on 2024—and next time, we’ll be comparing the two. So buckle up—because what’s in this report should shock you.

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In this episode of Paper Chains, we compare the 2023 and 2024 U.S. Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Reports to uncover what’s really changed in the global fight against human trafficking. From shifting country rankings to policy reversals and eerily familiar patterns, we break down the most critical updates and explore what they reveal about international accountability—or the lack of it. This conversation isn’t just about documents—it’s about the people behind the data and what the numbers say about progress, failure, and the road ahead.

Paper Chains is a project of Five24, a nonprofit dedicated to justice, education, and ethical consumerism. This episode is sponsored by Ethical Trade Co, your source for ethically made goods that support survivors and prevent exploitation. Learn more at www.ethicaltradeco.com.

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Welcome to Episode 5 of the Paper Chains Podcast — where we unpack major reports on exploitation and human trafficking and talk through what we’ve read to make these often dense documents more accessible and understandable for everyone. This episode is brought to you by Ethical Trade Co. Learn more about their work at www.ethicaltradeco.com.

In this episode, we’re diving into “Reframing Child Labour Due Diligence”, a 2024 report from UK-based Fifty Eight. The report challenges conventional thinking on how businesses approach child labour in supply chains and proposes new frameworks for action. We’ll explore their recommendations, discuss how this intersects with ethical sourcing practices, and reflect on what this means for consumers, companies, and nonprofits like Five24.

Find more information on Fifty Eight at fiftyeight.io

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Welcome to Episode 6 of the Paper Chains Podcast — where we unpack major reports on exploitation and human trafficking and talk through what we’ve read to make these often dense documents more accessible and understandable for everyone. This episode is brought to you by Ethical Trade Co. Learn more about their work at www.ethicaltradeco.com.

In this episode,we examine three different approaches to tackling child labour in supply chains: developing local smelting capacity in DRC’s tantalum sector, creating digital and vocational alternatives to mining for children and youth, and piloting a child-labour flagging system in Ethiopia’s sesame farming industry. Together, they highlight how industry, governments, and civil society can forge pathways to safer, more sustainable livelihoods. Presented by Five24 and sponsored by Ethical Trade Co., we thank UK-based FifityEight for permission to use these papers.

Support the show

Thank you for listening.

This is a project of Five24.