Towards Consistent and Comparable Data: Collection and Statistical Analysis of Human Trafficking

On February 11, 2025, the first Meeting of National Security Forces Data Analysts was held within the framework of the National Coalition against the Smuggling of Migrants and Human Trafficking in Costa Rica. The event was attended by the Technical Secretariat of the National Coalition against Human Trafficking (CONATT), representatives from the Human Trafficking and Smuggling Management (GTT), the Deputy Prosecutor’s Office against Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling, the Permanent Technical Commission on Information, Analysis, and Investigation, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and UN Women. This joint event was organized by IOM, UN Women, and UNODC. The meeting brought together 16 women and 4 men from migration police forces, the Judicial Investigation Agency, and the specialized prosecution office in charge of human trafficking matters in Costa Rica.

At the beginning of the session, the Deputy Prosecutor of the Deputy Prosecutor’s Office against Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling and President of the Permanent Technical Commission on Information, Analysis, and Investigation, Ms. Eugenia Salazar, emphasized the need to standardize data collection related to investigations, perpetrators, and victims. She highlighted the importance of having structured databases and unified criteria that enable a more accurate and comparative analysis of cases. Furthermore, she stressed that information standardization enhances inter-institutional coordination and strengthens prevention and response strategies against these crimes.

During the first part of the session, participants shared the data they record in cases of human trafficking and analyzed the concepts used by each institution at different stages of the process. The specific roles played by each entity in identifying trafficking cases were discussed, and registration criteria were compared. Additionally, each institution presented the information they document, including recorded variables and their respective categories, allowing for a comparison and alignment of data among the various stakeholders.

The UNODC-INEGI Center of Excellence (CdE) participated virtually with the presentation “Characterizing Human Trafficking through Statistical Processes: Standardized Collection and Consistent Indicators.” Ms. Adriana Oropeza Lliteras discussed progress in integrating the statistical Dashboard on human trafficking implemented in Costa Rica and the statistical processes applied. Her presentation covered the project’s objectives, the use of administrative records generated by the Immediate Response Team (ERI) as part of the victim accreditation process, the analysis of existing administrative records managed by the GTT, and the initial recommendations made by the CdE regarding statistical quality. These recommendations included the creation of a data dictionary, ensuring record completeness, standardizing data types, formats, and dimensions, developing specific catalogs, and reviewing processes to establish validation rules. Additionally, the importance of statistics in human trafficking and the use of analytical tools such as indicators, classifications, metadata, data dictionaries, statistical frameworks, and quality assessments were emphasized.

Ms. Carolina Lemus Way presented the International Classification of Crime for Statistical Purposes (ICCS), explaining its purpose and the factors influencing the comparability and interpretation of crime and justice statistics. The ICCS, based on behavioral descriptions rather than legal codes, allows for uniform application across jurisdictions. Following this, the International Classification Standard for Administrative Data on Human Trafficking (ICS-TIP) was introduced, defining the trafficking event as the unit of classification and incorporating key elements such as the stages of the crime, characteristics of victims and perpetrators, and reporting entities.

The meeting also featured an analysis of indicators from the GLOTIP questionnaire, which helps assess crime patterns, victim and perpetrator profiles, trafficking routes, and forms of exploitation.

To conclude, participants engaged in a practical exercise in which they analyzed a fictitious case narrative and converted it into standardized data, applying the recommendations of the ICCS, ICS-TIP, and the catalogs developed for the Dashboard.

The session contributed to strengthening knowledge on standardized methodologies for data collection and analysis, fostering a better understanding of human trafficking and its documentation in administrative records for statistical purposes.