About Us | The Inter-Agency Coordination Group against Trafficking in Persons

What is ICAT?

The Inter-Agency Coordination Group against Trafficking in Persons (ICAT) is a policy forum mandated by the UN General Assembly to improve coordination among UN agencies and other relevant international organizations to facilitate a holistic and comprehensive approach to preventing and combating trafficking in persons, including protection and support for victims of trafficking.

Responding to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Resolution 2006/27 requesting intergovernmental agencies to further cooperate in order to strengthen technical assistance provided to countries in the area of human trafficking, the Government of Japan hosted in September 2006 a coordination meeting of international organizations working to counter trafficking in persons.

The participating organizations (ILO, IOM, UNICEF, UNIFEM, UNDAW, UNHCR and UNODC) decided to continue the effort initiated, and proposed the creation of a coordination group.

ICAT was formally established in March 2007, pursuant to the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 61/180. The Resolution 61/180 requested the Secretary-General to improve upon the fledging inter-agency coordination group on trafficking in persons in order to enhance cooperation and coordination among the international community to facilitate a holistic and comprehensive approach to the problem of trafficking in persons. UNODC was assigned a coordinating role within ICAT.

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 64/293, endorsing the United Nations Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons.

The Global Plan of Action urged all responsible UN entities to coordinate their efforts to fight trafficking in persons effectively and to protect the human rights of its victims, including via ICAT and the Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UN.GIFT). Further, the Plan of Action called for strengthening and supporting ICAT to improve coordination and cooperation amongst relevant UN bodies, including UN human rights treaty bodies and mechanisms, and international organizations.

ICAT Terms of reference

What does ICAT offer?

ICAT functions are:

to provide a platform for exchange of information, experiences and good practices on anti-trafficking activities;
to support activities of the UN and other international organizations with the aim of ensuring a full and comprehensive implementation of all international instruments and standards of relevance for the prevention and combating of trafficking in persons and protection of and support for victims of trafficking;
to work towards a comprehensive, coordinated and holistic approach to human trafficking, which is gender and age-sensitive and grounded in a human rights based-approach;
to promote effective and efficient use of existing resources, using, to the extent possible, mechanisms already in place at the regional and national level.

The ICAT Membership

ICAT Partners

ICAT Chairs

2023-2024 International Organization for Migration (IOM) and UN Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children (OSRSG-VAC)

2022 International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) and UNODC

2021 UNHCR and UNODC

2019-2020 UN Women and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)

2018 United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)

2017 Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)

2016 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

2015 United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

2014 International Organization for Migration (IOM)

2013 International Labour Organization (ILO)

2012 United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)

2011 Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)

2007-2010 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)