By DPA,
New York : A voluntary trust fund was launched Thursday to fight global human trafficking, a multi-billion-dollar business with profits second only to drug and arms trafficking, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime said.
The fund, to be managed by UNODC, will provide humanitarian, legal and financial assistance to victims of human trafficking.
Launched with the help of Hollywood actress Demi Moore and actor Ashton Kutcher at UN headquarters in New York, UNODC said it will work with governments, the private sector, foundations and academia to raise awareness and funds.
Moore described human trafficking as “modern slavery,” with millions of women and girls snared by traffickers into the sex industry.
“We will do everything we can to eliminate slavery and rescue the victims,” Moore said. “Only one in every 100 victims is rescued. Even when they are rescued, often they are criminalized and rarely provided rehabilitation and treatment they needed.”
Moore and Kutcher, who are married, founded the Demi and Ashton Foundation, with the aim of raising awareness in child sex slavery worldwide and rehabilitating the victims.
UNODC’s major role include fighting all forms of human trafficking, including sex trafficking, forced labour and trafficking of people for the purpose of organ removal.