VANGUARD Webinar: ๐ง๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ณ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐๐บ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ฒ๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐: ๐จ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ถ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฒ, 22 October 2025
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On 22 October 2025, VANGUARD organised the second online webinar on โTrafficking in Human Beings: Understanding and Interpreting its Changing Landscapeโ. This webinar brought together experts in the field from five EU-funded projects addressing human trafficking, includingย VANGUARD, Eradicating II,ย ASIT, DISRUPT, andย SafeBorders, to explore the evolving dynamics of human trafficking, present societal-oriented research findings from the said projects, and promote cross-project dialogue and knowledge exchange.
More than 60 multidisciplinary experts from across Europe participated in the webinar to exchange feedback and ideas and explore the latest research findings in the fight against trafficking in human beings (THB). The VANGUARD project represented by its Coordinator, theย M4D groupย of theย MKLabย of theย Information Technologies Institute (ITI) at the ย Centre for Research & Technology Hellas (CERTH), opened the webinar, delivering a high-level project overview, emphasising the AI-based technological advancements that are and will be developed during the project, the training and capacity building exercises, as well as the VANGUARD Stakeholders Network that collects inputs, expectations and feedback, establishing in parallel a broader dialogue with experts in the field.
A thorough presentation on the vulnerabilities of THB victims and perpetrators in the new AI era has been delivered by Dr. Carlotta Carbone (UCSC), as part of broader empirical research using 55 semi-structured interviews with THB experts (LEAs, BoGs, NGOs and researchers), perpetrators engaged in sex trafficking (Lover-boy method) and THB survivors.ย Then, Dr. Karen Latricia Hough (FUNDEA) highlighted the existing structural gaps in anti-trafficking efforts and the need for creating sustainable models for the inclusion of survivorsโ voices in policy making and relevant preventative measures. Turning to insights from relevant THB projects, Mrs Nefeli Papagiannakou (Senior Project Manager โ Research & Policy Dpt, KMOP), presented the aims and objectives of ERADICATING II project, outlining the key findings for the research on labour trafficking and highlighting the outcomes relevant to the developed learning materials, the trainings and simulation exercises addressed to law enforcement agents, labour inspectors, prosecutors and first responders, as well as ย the practical guides tailored to the general public and the end usersโ needs. The webinar concluded with Mr Luciano Cortese (Project Manager-Rights and Justice Unit of CESIE), who addressed the insights from three different EU-funded projects (ASIT, DISRUPT, and SafeBorders), being instrumental in strengthening the operational capacities of law enforcement and multi-agency cooperation against trafficking, as well as on reinforcing judicial cooperation among European authorities in combating child trafficking.
This VANGUARD webinar encouraged meaningful participation from all experts, highlighting the importance of enabling multidisciplinary collaboration to develop innovative strategies in the fight against human trafficking. The outcomes of this webinar, along with future similar initiatives, will contribute to enhancing the European Unionโs understanding of and fight against the human trafficking phenomenon by raising awareness and preventing further exploitation.ย
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