By Sr. Neticia Pereira, Director of Opportunity Village Nepal, Nepal

It was a wonderful and enriching experience to participate in the 13^º Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC COP13), held in Vienna, Austria, from October 19-24, 2026.

The conference brought together government representatives, international organizations, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders from across the world to share experiences, discuss emerging challenges, and strengthen collective responses to transnational organized crime, including human trafficking.

For me, this was more than an opportunity to attend an international conference. As Director of Opportunity Village Nepal, it was a valuable learning experience that allowed me to listen, exchange perspectives, build connections, and understand how different countries and organizations are responding to the increasingly complex forms of trafficking and exploitation.

Learning from Global Experiences and Platforms

Alongside the main conference sessions, I attended side events on online child sexual abuse, AI-generated abuse material, and the use of technology to prevent human trafficking. These discussions highlighted the need to strengthen online protection, help young people recognize risks, use technology responsibly, and put survivors’ needs at the center of responses to abuse.

Other sessions explored violence against women and girls, women’s roles in criminal justice and peacebuilding, and community efforts to prevent children’s recruitment into organized crime. I also learned about fraudulent recruitment linked to trafficking in América Latina, and the financial sector’s role in tackling it. Together, the discussions showed the importance of sharing reliable information, cooperating across borders, and involving women, young people, and communities in prevention.

I also had the opportunity to attend the reception at the Vietnam exhibition, Vietnam’s Efforts Against Online Scams: From Policy Commitments to Practical Actions. It offered further insight into how policy commitments can translate into practical measures to address online scams and digital exploitation.

Reflections and Relevance to Mission

One of my key reflections from these engagements was how rapidly the nature and methods of human trafficking and exploitation are changing. Technology, social media, online recruitment, fraudulent employment opportunities, and financial networks are increasingly being used to target vulnerable individuals, particularly women, girls, and young people.

I was also reminded that our response must evolve alongside these challenges. Awareness alone is not enough. We need to strengthen digital literacy, promote safe migration, ensure gender-responsive protection, encourage meaningful youth participation, and create spaces where survivors can share their experiences and influence decisions that affect their lives.

These discussions were particularly meaningful in the context of our work at Opportunity Village Nepal. They encouraged me to reflect on how we can further strengthen our community-based prevention initiatives, protection mechanisms, advocacy, and partnerships. I strongly believe that the voices and experiences of survivors, children, and young people must remain at the center of our efforts.

From Learning to Action

I returned from Vienna with new insights, meaningful connections, and a renewed sense of commitment to our Good Shepherd mission. The experience reminded me that combating human trafficking is not the responsibility of one organization or one country. It requires collective action, stronger partnerships, shared learning, and a commitment to justice and human dignity.

For me, the most important takeaway is that our commitment to protecting girls, women, and children must go beyond responding to exploitation; we must work together to prevent it, challenge the systems that enable it, and ensure that every individual has the opportunity to live with dignity, freedom, and hope.

I hope to carry the learning from Vienna into our work, our partnerships, and our continued efforts to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those we accompany.

Obtenga más información sobre Opportunity Village Nepal aqui.