Nearly one in four victims of people trafficking, or 30,000 individuals, are children, according to the UN migration agency IOM.

IOM has urged governments to place migration and trafficking in people at the centre of efforts to end child labour, calling for stronger data, research, and cross-border cooperation to better protect children on the move.

Speaking to the Sixth Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour in Marrakesh IOM Director General Amy Pope said that according to the latest available IOM data, more than 125,000 victims of trafficking have been officially identified worldwide, although the figure might be much higher.

And of those identified, close to 30,000, or one in four are children.

“Millions of children on the move face heightened risks of exploitation and trafficking, yet they remain too often invisible in global policies and protection systems” Ms Pope said in a video message.

“We must act now – across borders and across sectors – to close these alarming protection gaps and ensure that every child, everywhere, is safe,” she said.

The conference, hosted by the Government of Morocco and the International Labour Organisation this month brought together governments, UN agencies, businesses, civil society, and youth leaders to accelerate action toward eliminating child labour.

The conference heard there was a need for stronger data and research to identify risks, inform prevention efforts, and guide targeted responses.

Recent evidence, including a joint IOM–Harvard study analysing two decades of child trafficking data, highlighted the complex links between child labour, migration, and trafficking in persons.

The findings point to the need for closer alignment between child protection, migration, and anti-trafficking systems, as well as more coordinated action among policymakers, researchers, and practitioners, IOM said.

The agency called for coordinated, rights-based responses. It said partnerships were essential to closing gaps between migration, child labour, and trafficking responses, and to support countries in developing integrated approaches.

IOM highlighted progress made under the IOM–Save the Children–UNICEF Global Program on Protection for Migrant Children.

“Collaboration with governments in the East and Horn of Africa and North Africa is strengthening cross-border case management and referral systems to reduce risks faced by children along migration routes,” IOM said.

The agency also called for sustained investment in partnerships to support policies and program that prevent exploitation and protect children in situations of vulnerability, as well as stronger global indicators that reflect the realities of migration and trafficking in persons.

IOM unveiled its ‘WakaWell’ initiative, a youth-designed platform that supports young people across Africa in making safe and informed migration decisions.