Human Trafficking

Human Trafficking in Asia and ADB's Roles

The speed and geographic coverage of human trafficking has intensified over the last decade. The Asia and Pacific region remains a major source and destination of trafficked persons - especially women and children - in the world.

This worsening phenomenon can be attributed to several "push" and "pull" factors. Push factors includes poverty and unequal development, conflicts, natural disasters, dysfunctional families, and social and gender discrimination. Pull factors comprise globalization and global demand for cheap labor, improved communications system, images of better urban life portrayed by media, improved physical connectivity through transport networks by land, sea, and air, and expanding global tourism.

The annual trafficking in persons report*, published by the United States' Department of State, has increased worldwide attention to the need for urgent actions.

ADB supports initiatives towards improved connectivity and regional economic integration which enhances flow of goods, services, and people. Inadvertently, these initiatives may contribute to increased vulnerability among certain social groups like women and children from poor households, if antitrafficking measures are not in place. ADB's role in human trafficking is to focus on preventive measures and monitoring of impacts, especially those related to cross-border road corridors and regional economic integration activities. ADB recognizes this role in its Regional Cooperation and Integration Strategy.

ADB has been supporting a range of antitrafficking awareness raising and vulnerability reduction components along with loan and grant projects that may inadvertently increase trafficking vulnerability and regional and country-specific technical assistance projects that help build capacity of ADB's developing member countries in preventing and reducing vulnerability to human trafficking and promoting regional cooperation in addressing the issue.