On the International Anti-Trafficking Day, Bulgaria rejoins the Blue Heart global initiative
30 July 2021 News
For another year, Bulgaria joins the global "Blue Heart" initiative, which marks the International Day against Trafficking in Human Beings - July 30. The symbol of the campaign is a blue heart, expressing the sadness of victims of trafficking. The blue color indicates the commitment of the United Nations to combat this crime.
This year, the theme of International Anti-Trafficking Day is "Victims of Trafficking Guide the Road". At the heart of the campaign are victims of human trafficking, emphasizing the importance of listening and learning from the stories of survivors. The aim of the campaign is to make young people aware of the risks associated with human trafficking, increase public awareness of victims, and build intolerance towards perpetrators.
On the occasion of the International Day, we remind that the fight against human trafficking is a priority for every Bulgarian government. Trafficking in human beings is a serious crime against the person, personal liberty, and human dignity, which transcends national borders and requires serious efforts by the entire international community and the establishment of ever closer cooperation between states to provide effective counteraction.
According to the UN, the number of children victims of trafficking has increased in recent years, and about 80% of all trafficking cases involve sexual exploitation. The KOVID-19 pandemic and related restrictive measures have led to increased online sexual exploitation of children and this type of crime. Bulgaria considers the fight against online sexual exploitation of children as a top priority and has a stable capacity for the timely detection, suppression, and sanctioning of these crimes, as well as for the care of victims.
At the end of last month, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs joined the "Blind Betting” media partnership initiative, organized by the General Directorate for Combating Organized Crime with the support of the National Commission for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings. It is focused on an information campaign aimed at preventing trafficking in human beings for the purpose of sexual exploitation.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs works in close cooperation with the Administration of the National Commission for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, the Ministry of Interior, the State Agency for Child Protection and the MLSP on cases of trafficking in human beings for labor and sexual exploitation.