Costa Rica presents dashboard to strengthen analysis against human trafficking with disaggregated data and international standards
On April 2, Costa Rica took a fundamental step in strengthening its response to human trafficking and migrant smuggling with the presentation of the Human Trafficking Indicators Dashboard, a digital tool designed to optimize the collection, visualization and analysis of data based on administrative records.
The dashboard allows the generation of solid evidence for decision-making, incorporating data disaggregated by age, sex, nationality, migration status, gender identity, occupation, educational level, province of residence and mother tongue. In addition, it makes it possible to analyze the ways and means of recruitment, places and countries of exploitation, making visible different profiles of victims and vulnerable populations.
During the presentation, the Vice Minister of Interior and Police, Omer Badilla, who also chairs the National Coalition against the Smuggling of Migrants and Trafficking in Persons (CONATT), highlighted the strategic value of the dashboard for institutions that investigate, prevent and provide care and protection services to people who are accredited as victims of trafficking.
Carlos Perez, Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Officer of UNODC-ROPAN, stressed that the tool is aligned with the International Classification on Trafficking in Persons (IC-TIP) and represents a good practice that can be replicated in the region through the Regional Coalition against Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants (CORETT).
Heydi González, coordinator of the Joint Program with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), remarked that the development of the dashboard has been one of the main activities to strengthen national capacities in the management of statistical information. She also recognized the work of the UNODC-INEGI Center of Excellence in training on the IC-TIP and the incorporation of the gender and justice approach in security statistics.
The presentation also included the intervention of Adriana Oropeza, Coordinator of the UNODC Center of Excellence, who explained the 14-month process that allowed transforming administrative records into structured, scalable and visualizable data. She highlighted that the tool allows the generation of statistics with high geographic granularity, which improves the identification of patterns and gaps for the formulation of public policies.
The dashboard will allow CONATT to analyze:
- The number of trafficked persons per year, with data on applications received and accredited victims with the possibility of analyzing in great detail the intersectionality of their (age status, gender identity, educational level, occupation, nationality, etc.).
- Relationships between accredited victims, forms and means of recruitment, places of recruitment and countries of exploitation.
The development of the tool began in February 2024 as part of the program “Strengthening the capacities of law enforcement and criminal justice agencies to coordinate and exchange information in the investigation and prosecution of trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants”, funded by the Migration Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MMPTF).
The design was jointly led by UNODC ROPAN, the UNODC-INEGI Center of Excellence, CONATT, and included the participation of key institutions such as the National Women’s Institute (INAMU), the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS), the Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ), the National Children’s Trust (PANI), the institutions of the Immediate Response Team (ERI), as well as IOM and UN Women.
This tool marks a milestone in the production of quality statistics for action, promoting a more effective, coordinated and human rights-focused response.