R.E.S.T.O.R.E. Ukraine Alliance launched at Ukraine Recovery Conference 2026 to prevent human trafficking

A new international coalition dedicated to protecting people from trafficking and exploitation during Ukraine’s reconstruction efforts was launched on 24 June at the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) 2026 in Gdańsk, Poland. The R.E.S.T.O.R.E. Ukraine Alliance (Recovery & Empowerment Systems To Overcome Risk and Exploitation) brings together governments, international organizations, businesses, and civil society in a shared commitment to prevent and eliminate human trafficking and all forms of exploitation, ensuring that Ukraine’s recovery is inclusive, rights-based, and free from abuse.

“Human trafficking and related abuses must not be allowed to take root in the recovery process in Ukraine. Early integration of anti-trafficking safeguards into reconstruction, procurement, and labour systems now can reduce risks before they become harm,” said OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings Kari Johnstone, addressing the participants.

Ukraine’s reconstruction, set to be one of Europe’s largest rebuilding efforts since the Second World War, will span construction, hospitality, agriculture, and other sectors. This scale may also increase risks of human trafficking and exploitation, including fraudulent recruitment, wage theft, debt bondage, sexual exploitation, and the abuse of children. These vulnerabilities are further exacerbated by mass displacement, labour shortages, the demobilization and reintegration of veterans, and the emergence of new and often insufficiently regulated labour-market intermediaries.

“Ukraine is not only rebuilding what was destroyed. We are building a recovery system that protects human dignity, decent work, and the safety of people. R.E.S.T.O.R.E. Ukraine is an invitation to partners to rebuild with responsibility,” stressed Tetiana Berezhna, Deputy Prime Minister for Humanitarian Policy - Minister of Culture of Ukraine.

The Alliance is launched by the Governments of Austria, Canada, Italy, Poland, and Ukraine, with the OSCE Office of Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings providing expert support and serving as the Alliance’s secretariat.

Governments, businesses, financial institutions, international organizations, civil society, employers’ organizations, and communities are invited to join the R.E.S.T.O.R.E. Ukraine Alliance. Priority areas, among others, include raising awareness of trafficking risks, embedding anti-trafficking safeguards in supply chains and procurement systems, strengthening victim identification and screening, regulating labour intermediaries, and monitoring compliance across high-risk sectors.