On 16 January, the OSCE SG opened the “Tech Against Trafficking Advisory Group In-Person Meeting” hosted by the OSR/CTHB in Vienna. Such co-operation with private technology companies is crucial in preventing and combatting the use of business services and platforms by traffickers. On 22 May, during the 28th session of the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, held in Vienna, the OSR/CTHB participated in a side event entitled “The Role of Technology in Facilitating and Addressing Sex Trafficking”. On 10 July, as co-chair of the Inter-Agency Co-ordination Group against Trafficking in Persons (ICAT), the OSR/ CTHB contributed to a side-event on the role of technology in combating THB at the 41st Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva. The event addressed the role of ICT in combating trafficking in persons from the perspectives of various stakeholders, presenting an opportunity to mark the World Day against Trafficking in Persons. In July, the OSR/CTHB facilitated the development, publication and circulation of the ICAT Issue Brief on Human Trafficking and Technology: Trends, Challenges and Opportunities. By providing clear, digestible overviews of specific issues relating to THB, the ICAT Issue Briefs assist global anti-trafficking community in developing joint approaches regarding emerging challenges. From 30 to 31 July, in co-operation with TNTD/SPMU, the OSR/CTHB organized a regional workshop in Minsk on “The Use of Effective Investigative Techniques to Combat Sexual Exploitation and THB in the Light of New Technologies”. Participants at the event included senior prosecutors and law enforcement representatives specializing in countering trafficking and cybercrimes from Belarus, Estonia, France, Italy, Latvia, Moldova, Ukraine, UK and US. On 20 September, within the framework of the Human Dimension Implementation Meeting in Warsaw, the OSR/ CTHB organized a side event on how CSOs can leverage technology to fight THB. The best practices and knowledge acquired at high-level events such as the Alliance Conference were shared with civil society to inspire the broader use of technology in anti-trafficking efforts. The presence of law enforcement and other anti-trafficking practitioners also allowed for a fruitful discussion on the added value that civil society can bring in this regard. On 8 November, the SR/CTHB contributed to the “Security Days” expert roundtable on “A Human Rights-Centred Approach to Technology and Development” held in Vienna. More than 150 participants from across the OSCE area engaged in an interactive discussion, which highlighted the 38 challenges faced by participating States in regard to the design and use of new technologies, including for the purposes of countering security threats, with a focus on ensuring respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. Country visits stand at the core of the OSR/CTHB’s mandate, serving to establish a direct and constructive dialogue with participating States on anti-trafficking policy and to raise the profile of anti-trafficking efforts in the OSCE region. In 2019, the OSR/CTHB conducted country visits to Croatia and Georgia as well as follow-up visits to Romania and Tajikistan. Through consultations with government authorities, parliamentarians, law enforcement agencies, judiciary and civil society, these visits enabled the Special Representative to highlight the anti-trafficking agenda at the highest levels of government, identify good practices, share knowledge and lessons learned with participating States, and provide technical assistance, when appropriate. At the request of participating States, the OSR/CTHB also conducted technical assistance visits to Iceland and Turkmenistan, particularly focusing on the challenges related to the co-ordination of anti-trafficking efforts at the national level and in the provision of effective assistance to victims of human trafficking. On 14 March, the OSR/CTHB organized and led a side-event on “Preventing Trafficking of Women and Girls for Sexual Exploitation: Understanding States Obligation to Address Demand under the Palermo Protocol” held on the margins of the “63rd Commission on the Status of Women” in New York. On 17 May, the OSR/CTHB and ECPAT (End Child Prostitution and Trafficking) co-organized a roundtable in Vienna entitled “Child Trafficking and Child Protection: Ensuring Sustainable Solutions in the Child’s Best Interests”. Over 30 members from the ECPAT network discussed the role of civil society in combating THB and how CSOs can advocate for the better protection of child victims of human trafficking, including during their interaction with criminal justice sector. The discussions helped to develop a concrete action plan to better promote the recommendations in the OSR/CTHB’s occasional paper on sustainable solutions for trafficked children, in line with the recent MC Decision 7/17 and Decision 6/18. From 25 to 27 September, the OSR/CTHB organized and contributed to several ICAT-facilitated events held on the margins of the 74th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York. These included a roundtable on ways to strengthen the fight against impunity of traffickers, a photography exhibition entitled “From the frontlines of human trafficking”, and a high-level panel discussion on multi-stakeholder partnerships against THB with the participation of the OSCE SG and UNDOC Executive Director. These events served to