 Today, we mark World Day Against Trafficking Persons, and I commend states on the progress made so far in combating this phenomenon. However, the fight against human trafficking is far from over. Being 2021 the International Year for Elimination of Child Labour, I would like to focus on the specific vulnerability of children to trafficking. According to the Global Report on Trafficking in Persons by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 74,514 victims of trafficking were detected in over 110 countries between 2017 and 2018. In 2018 about one-third of the overall detecting victims were children. Data from IOM and UNICEF indicates that 8 out of 10 migrant children travelling the Central Mediterranean route towards Europe report exploitation and are regularly held against their will, forced to work or experience wage theft. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the vulnerabilities of people in already precarious situations and has exposed even more children to risks of trafficking. Poverty, loss of employment and school closures place children at higher risk of trafficking for purposes of exploitation and abuse. These situations are more acute in humanitarian settings. Over the past 30 years IOM has learned that combating trafficking in persons requires comprehensive approaches and strong partnerships. I highlight here our work with the Office of Special Representative of the Secretary General on violence against children. The stories shared by over 100,000 victims assisted by IOM have taught us that we must listen carefully to victims and their struggles, their strengths in expressing their concerns and sharing their stories and their determination to help build improved responses is not only crucial but inspiring for all of us.