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Costa Rica moves forward in Data Standardization on Trafficking in Persons with International Standards

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On February 24, the Special Prosecutor’s Office Against Human Trafficking and Smuggling of Migrants (FACTRA), territorial offices, the Migration Police, the Trafficking in Persons Management Directorate, the Victim Assistance Office, and the Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) received training from the UNODC-INEGI Center of Excellence (CoE) to unify criteria for the collection and analysis of data on Trafficking in Persons. The training promoted the use of international standards such as:

  • The International Classification of Crime for Statistical Purposes (ICCS)
  • The International Classification Standard for Administrative Data on Trafficking in Persons (ICS-TIP)
  • Indicators from the Global Trafficking in Persons Questionnaire (GLOTIP)

During the session, Ms. Carolina Lemus Way highlighted the importance of a clear classification aligned with international standards to ensure data comparability across institutions. Emphasis was placed on the collection of essential variables related to victims, perpetrators, and forms of exploitation, ensuring key information for: detecting crime patterns, strengthening criminal prosecution, and improving victim assistance.

Ms. Adriana Oropeza presented the GLOTIP questionnaire, which UNODC collects globally, emphasizing how these indicators help characterize the scale of the crime, the profiles of victims and perpetrators, identify cross-border flows, and develop more effective strategies to combat this phenomenon in vulnerable populations—especially minors—as well as in specific economic sectors and key areas of the country.

To conclude the meeting, the Special Prosecutor, Ms. Eugenia Salazar, discussed the different forms of exploitation classified under Costa Rican law. Participants analyzed how their institutions classify the purposes of exploitation in Trafficking in Persons cases and their alignment with international standards. This exercise demonstrated the potential for harmonizing definitions and procedures to strengthen the quality and consistency of national data through a standardized classification.

This working session, organized by UN Women, UNODC-ROPAN, and IOM, strengthened institutional capacities by fostering knowledge and potential adoption of international statistical tools to build consistent and high-quality data.

Interinstitutional cooperation and data standardization are essential for designing evidence-based policies and advancing the prevention and combat of Trafficking in Persons in Costa Rica.