The global response to human trafficking continues to be limited by one critical gap: most victims are never identified. Building on insights presented at the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70), the World Freedom Network advances the concept that victim identification is the gateway to justice and must be strengthened as a coordinated, cross-sector practice rather than treated as a technical intervention within single systems. This presentation introduces a practical framework for understanding victim identification as a shared process occurring across government agencies, healthcare providers, civil society organizations, the private sector and faith-based communities. It argues that identification is not a single event but a distributed responsibility requiring awareness, confidence, and coordination at multiple points of contact with vulnerable populations. Drawing on global network engagement across multiple regions, the session identifies key barriers that prevent recognition of exploitation, including fragmented responses, limited frontline training, and systemic blind spots that leave the majority of trafficked persons invisible to protection systems. It also presents examples of how sectors can strengthen their role in recognizing indicators of exploitation earlier and responding collaboratively. Strengthening identification practices expands pathways to protection, accountability, and survivor-centered justice. Participants will gain a practical framework for engaging their own sectors in earlier recognition of exploitation and strengthening coordinated identification responses that make access to justice possible.
Sarah Scott Webb is Global Advocacy and Network Lead for SIM International and founder of the Oceania Freedom Network. With over 18 years’ anti-trafficking experience, she strengthens regional coordination across sectors and contributes to UN advocacy, including the General Assembly review of the Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons.
Jennifer Roemhildt Tunehag is Global Director of the World Freedom Network and a founding leader of the European Freedom Network. She brings more than a decade of experience supporting individuals exiting exploitation in Greece and advances international collaboration on survivor employment pathways, identification strategies, and coordinated responses to trafficking across multiple regions.
Helen Avadiar-Nimbalker is Director of the Asia Freedom Network and a trauma therapist with more than 20 years’ experience addressing gender-based violence and trafficking. She develops survivor-centered prevention and aftercare programs across Asia and advises organizations on strengthening trauma-informed identification, recovery support, and community-based responses to exploitation.
Dr. Jason Pope serves as World Evangelical Alliance UN Acting Permanent Representative in New York, and Executive Director of the Rain Collective. He previously led global anti-trafficking initiatives with The Salvation Army World Service Office and directed U.S. State Department–funded programs strengthening protection systems for vulnerable children at risk of exploitation.
Peta-Ann Small is co-founder of Set Free Foundation and contributes to European Freedom Network operations while supporting collaboration across African anti-trafficking networks. With more than a decade of experience, she strengthens survivor-centered responses, organizational partnerships, and practical coordination between frontline practitioners working to identify and respond to exploitation.