The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations, and it recognizes its potential to initiate global action. ICAO actively contributes to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals adopted under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which includes a focus on combating trafficking in persons. The Organization worked in cooperation with the Office of the United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to develop new guidance material, which can serve as a stepping stone for cabin crew training at individual airlines.

The joint ICAO-OHCHR Guidelines for Training Cabin Crew on Identifying and Responding to Trafficking in Persons (Cir 352) are the result of this cooperation. Cir 352 provides States and operators with the framework and topics that should be included in the training package; material focuses on the identification and response to trafficking in persons, and is aimed particularly at the role of cabin crew members.

What can States do to help?
States’ Civil Aviation Authorities (CAAs) should require that operators develop policies, procedures, training and guidance for their employees; specifically to raise awareness on trafficking in persons and appropriate responses to such events. ICAO recommends that CAAs use the content of this circular as the basis for training programmes for cabin crew and other aviation personnel.

What can operators do to help?
The aviation industry is one of the primary modes of transportation utilized by traffickers, making it a likely for airline personnel to come face to face with victims or perpetrators. ICAO recommends that each operator develops a set of dedicated policies, procedures and reporting protocols for when such encounters occur. Specialized training should be provided to cabin crew members, as they would be a first point of recognition onboard, along with flight crew members as they would be the first point of reporting suspected cases of trafficking to law enforcement.