International conference discusses the future of the fight against human trafficking

The international conference entitled “Innovative Research Approaches in the Fight against Human Trafficking” was organised for the first time by the Anti-Human Trafficking Research Group at the Faculty of Law, University of Pécs, between 14 and 16 May 2025.

The conference aimed to present the activities of the research group and its international partners, and to ensure a dialogue between science and the profession. To this end, not only did researchers from ten countries present their knowledge gained in researching human trafficking at the conference, but also experts, including representatives of the International Justice Mission and Victim Support Europe, shared their practical experiences.

The event was opened by Désirée Bonis, Ambassador of the Netherlands to Hungary, Dr Ágoston Mohay, Vice Dean for General Affairs and Internationalisation of the Faculty of Law and Dr István Szijártó, a member of the Anti-Trafficking Research Group.

The experts shared their experiences in the form of presentations, case studies, good practices and professional roundtable discussions. During the three-day conference, topics such as modern slavery, child exploitation, and tools to combat cross-border human trafficking were discussed, and how awareness can be raised through prevention and victim protection tools.

The conference's opening lecture in English, given by Dr Jorn van Rij, senior analyst of the Netherlands National Police and visiting professor of the UP Faculty of Law - "How to involve third parties in preventive policing in combating trafficking in human beings" - can be viewed on the YouTube channel of the Faculty of Law, University of Pécs.