Yesterday Parosha Chandran chaired a meeting at the UN General Assembly in New York on Sports Trafficking. This was a High-Level Side Event on technological solutions to tackle the issue of exploitation and trafficking in sport for the 78^th Session of the UN General Assembly.

The meeting considered the gaps in awareness and understanding of trafficking in the context of sport, in an alarming landscape where it is estimated that more than 15,000 children are trafficked from West Africa into Europe annually with hopes of establishing careers as professional footballers. A distinctive and important feature of this type of trafficking is the high reliance on social media websites and applications, in order to compound and cement the ‘pull factor’ for young children to want to live glamorous lives through sports, as shown to them online.

The aims and objectives of the event therefore specifically considered the role of information and communications technology, looking to address existing gaps and threats, and find solutions.

Parosha can be seen addressing the meeting here.