As early as 2017, the Sovereign Military Order of Malta appointed a special ambassador to monitor and combat human trafficking. H.E. Ambassador Prof. Michel Veuthev attends the three-yearly meetings of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, where he presents papers and participates in parallel events. In addition, he has organized 41 webinars on human trafficking in collaboration with international experts and survivors. These webinars are subtitled in seven languages (Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Russian and Spanish). Furthermore, he is continuously working on the development of an international network of practitioners, experts and researchers, among other things to offer free online courses for helpers.

The ambassador of the Order of Malta to the Republic of Austria, H.E. Ambassador DI Sebastian Prinz von Schoenaich-Carolath, is also particularly committed to the fight against human trafficking. In Austria, which is also affected by human trafficking due to its geographical position and history, Ambassador Schoenaich-Carolath has succeeded in setting up a monitoring center together with the Archdiocese of Salzburg in order to observe the current situation and developments in the field of human trafficking in Austria and to be able to take appropriate initiatives. In the course of the year, further details on the subject will be published.

This globally relevant crime is responsible for the inconceivable suffering of the abducted and has already reached a volume of well over US$ 15 million worldwide. At conferences and conventions, the ambassadors of the Sovereign Order of Malta continuously point out the devastating effects of global human trafficking and emphasize the urgent need for international cooperation to combat this crime.