Child Trafficking in Europe

aCknoWlEdgEMEnTs
This study on child trafficking by the United Nations Children’s Fund Innocenti Research Centre (UNICEF IRC)
benefits from the support of the Governments of Italy and Sweden, and from UNICEF National Committees
in Germany, Japan and Switzerland. UNICEF IRC is particularly grateful for the financial contributions
provided by the German and Swiss National Committees to the research on child trafficking in Europe. While
all of this support provides much-needed funding, it also yields collaboration in the research process itself,
which is critical to future networking, advocacy and further research.
This Innocenti Insight was developed through a wide process of consultation and benefited from the support,
counsel and expertise provided at strategic moments of its development by participants in expert
meetings organized at the Innocenti Research Centre. The study could not have been undertaken without
the involvement of the UNICEF Regional Office for Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of
Independent States (CEE/CIS), the UNICEF Geneva Regional Office, and UNICEF National Committees and
Country Offices throughout Europe. UNICEF IRC appreciates the collaboration and expertise provided by
the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the Office of
the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), which was further strengthened as the
research was conducted. A range of governmental and non-governmental partners and child rights experts,
in particular Ratna Kapur, made important contributions. Special thanks go to Candido Cunha for his critical
review.
Within UNICEF IRC, data and analysis were provided by the Child Trafficking Research Project, and the
initiative was conducted under the Implementation of International Standards Unit, overseen by Susan Bissell,
with the overall guidance of Marta Santos Pais, UNICEF IRC Director. The European study was initiated
during Andrea Rossi’s tenure and taken forward by Daja Wenke, with the support of Giorgio Ricchiuti and
a number of research assistants in the area of data collection and management. The study was edited by
Alexia Lewnes and Claire Akehurst provided administrative support. The UNICEF IRC Communication and
Partnership Unit provided additional editorial support and oversaw the production process.