The central role of civil society and survivor expertise in anti-trafficking efforts
Human trafficking continues to affect every Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) member state, posing not only a criminal justice concern but also a profound human rights, security and economic challenge. At a recent OSCE Helsinki+50 side event: “Stronger Together: The central role of civil society and survivor expertise in anti-trafficking efforts”, the OSCE Office of the Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and the Freedom Fund came together to emphasise the importance of centring survivors in anti-trafficking responses. Survivor involvement means ensuring people with lived experience help design, implement and evaluate policies and programs.
Survivors are more than witnesses to exploitation. They are experts whose lived experience provides practical insight into both the causes of trafficking and the solutions to end it. Involving survivors grounds policies and programs in reality, addressing not only immediate needs but also the deeper structural issues that perpetuate exploitation. When survivors help shape solutions, responses become more effective, sustainable and truly transformative.
But barriers remain. Too often, survivors are brought into discussions only after key decisions are made, or their involvement is limited to sharing testimony without real influence. To move beyond tokenism, survivors must be recognised as equal partners and leaders, with fair pay, genuine decision-making power and opportunities to shape policies and programs from the start. Building institutional confidence is also vital, and the report highlights a range of practical guidance and survivor-authored resources to support this.
It’s time to move from words to action. Survivor involvement is no longer just an aspiration – it is the key to building lasting, effective anti-trafficking responses. What’s needed now is the courage to share power, the political will to act, and a genuine commitment to partnership. Ending trafficking will take all of us, and it cannot happen without survivors leading the way.
To explore the full discussion and recommendations from the “Stronger Together” side event, we invite you to read the event summary report.
