Delegates gather at a conference to raise awareness on human trafficking in scam centres. — VNS Photo Thu Trang

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam stands ready to further strengthen cooperation with countries, international organisations and relevant partners to prevent, detect and address human trafficking through a victim-centred approach.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Lê Thị Thu Hằng made the statement at a conference held in Hà Nội on Monday to raise awareness about human trafficking of victims forced to work in scam centres.

The event was co-organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

It was attended by nearly 140 delegates, including ambassadors, chiefs of representative offices, leaders of diplomatic missions and international organisations in Việt Nam.

UNODC's #TrappedInScamCrime campaign in Việt Nam was also launched at the same time.

Hằng said that in recent years, human trafficking crimes in the region and worldwide have become increasingly complex.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Lê Thị Thu Hằng confirms Việt Nam’s commitment to human trafficking prevention and control.

Trafficking networks have intensified their exploitation of cyberspace, social media and new technologies – particularly artificial intelligence – to recruit victims through tactics like advertisements for easy jobs with high pay, romance scams and investment fraud, with the aim of sexual exploitation, forced labour or coercion into criminal acts.

“The rise in trafficking to scam centres has become a challenge for many countries, threatening security, order and social safety, causing economic damage and harming human security,” she said.

The Deputy Minister confirmed that Việt Nam has always prioritised anti-trafficking efforts and is actively implementing the Law on Prevention and Combat of Human Trafficking 2024 and the Programme to Prevent and Combat Human Trafficking from 2026 to 2030.

All of these efforts focus on addressing acts that exploit cyberspace and technology to draw victims into human trafficking operations.

The United Nations Resident Coordinator in Việt Nam Pauline Tamesis said that prevention efforts also require closer cooperation with technology companies and online platforms, services that are often exploited by traffickers to deceive and recruit victims.

By upholding international standards on business and human rights, companies play a crucial role in identifying and mitigating risks related to their platforms, she said.

Pauline Tamesis, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Việt Nam, calls for closer cooperation to address human trafficking.

John McIntyre, Chargé d'Affaires ad interim of the US Embassy in Việt Nam, said that the US is ready to continue cooperating with the Vietnamese Government, UNODC and regional partners to raise awareness, strengthen prevention, support law enforcement and assist trafficking victims.

“Such cooperation will make a difference,” he said.

Discussion

Within the framework of the event, Southeast Asian experts presented on the general context of human trafficking for forced criminality in scam centres, introduced UNODC's #TrappedInScamCrime campaign with insights from the organisation, and shared experiences in building a safe digital environment, with contributions from Meta.

The conference included in-depth discussions on preventing trafficking to scam centres and supporting victims. Speakers from the ministries of Public Security, National Defence, Health, and Foreign Affairs participated, and general discussions were held on solutions to promote community engagement and cooperation in implementing the campaign in Việt Nam.

Rebecca Miller, regional coordinator on Anti-Trafficking and Smuggling of Migrants at UNODC's Regional Office for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, said: "Across the region, we are witnessing human exploitation on a massive scale, with trafficking victims forced to carry out scams for profit, and they themselves often face legal consequences.”

“We must end the practice of treating trafficking victims as suspects and instead focus on dismantling the transnational organised crime networks that profit billions of dollars from these criminal activities," she added.

The #TrappedInScamCrime campaign, initiated by UNODC in partnership with the International Justice Mission and funded by the US government, has been rolled out in the region since last year to raise awareness, promote prevention and enhance coordination amid the rapid rise in trafficking for forced criminality.

The campaign calls for engagement from governments, civil society organisations, digital platforms and youth.

During the event, participants committed to strengthening close coordination to help prevent and address trafficking to scam centres. — VNS