[Updated 28.09.2023]

The following press release was submitted on September 26, 2023.

NEW YORK, USA, September 27, 2023/ — Mission89, in collaboration with the Generation Amazing Foundation and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), will host a transformational side event during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA78) on tackling the critical issue of human trafficking in sports through innovative technological solutions and inspire the next generation to combat modern slavery and exploitation.

With the theme “Leveraging Technology to Combat Exploitation and Human Trafficking in Sport,” the event is scheduled for September 25, 2023, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, between 1400 – 1600 EST. It will bring together various stakeholders dedicated to eradicating human trafficking and promoting youth involvement in sports, including youth advocates, academics, football executives, and the UN’s permanent representatives from Qatar, Monaco and Gabon.

“Sport, a global language that transcends borders, has always been a source of joy and inspiration for countless young individuals worldwide,” emphasized Lerina Bright, founder and executive director of Mission89. “Unfortunately, it also serves as a troubling arena for human trafficking, particularly targeting young, aspiring athletes, with approximately 15,000 children falling victim to trafficking from West Africa to Europe each year. This issue is deeply disturbing and necessitates the utmost attention and concerted efforts from all stakeholders.”

The first session will shed light on sports trafficking and its implications for social inclusion in sports, the evolving landscape of women’s football, and the specific vulnerabilities female athletes face. The second session will explore how technology can be harnessed to combat this issue effectively. The third panel session will engage youth perspectives on these issues, drawing lessons from their experiences and knowledge.

“Through collaborative efforts, the Generation Amazing Foundation remains resolute in its commitment to harness the transformative potential of sports alongside esteemed partners like Mission 89,” stated Nasser Al-Khori, Executive Director of the Generation Amazing Foundation. “Together, we aim to drive lasting positive change and reach our shared objectives of addressing global youth-centric social issues.”

Jonathan Hargreaves, Global Head of Business Development at Elastos added, “In a decade of working with data and technology to combat trafficking, we see time and again that compromised identity is the vulnerability that traffickers use to build deception and focus their business models around. By using technology to prevent falsified identity, create transparency in the decision process and verification of authority figures these criminal enterprises are fundamentally undermined. The Elastos’ evolving Web3 systems allow players and families to secure their data, verify the provenance of agents and learn about the opportunities in a inspiration yet safe manner. In this way, blockchain is the key to prevention of trafficking at a systemic level.”

Keynote speakers at the event include Samuel Eto’o Fils, President of the Federation Of Cameroon Football Football (FECAFOOT), and H.E. Mrs Melrose Karminty, Minister of Social Welfare, Republic of Sierra Leone. Other distinguished speakers include Dr Roberto Branco Martins, Director General of the European Football Agents Association (EFAA); Lerina Bright, Founder & Executive Director of Mission89; Ambassador Michel Xavier Biang, Permanent Representative of Gabon to the United Nations; Alya bint Ahmed Al Thani, UN’s Permanent Representative of Qatar; and Ambassador Isabelle F. Picco, Permanent Representative of Monaco to the United Nations.

This forum aims to spotlight the issue of human trafficking in sports and empower young individuals to become advocates and change agents by leveraging technology. By providing a platform for youth engagement and participation, they can voice their concerns, share innovative tech-driven ideas, and contribute to developing effective strategies to combat this urgent issue.

The event’s alignment with the United Nations’ commitment to combat human trafficking and promote youth engagement underscores its significance. It harnesses the UN’s extensive experience in addressing human rights issues and complements ongoing efforts to raise awareness about the grave issue of human trafficking.

———-

About Mission89

Mission 89 is a research, education, and advocacy organization headquartered in Geneva that fights the exploitation of young athletes through social and economic transformation. Its guiding principles include the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) both broadly and specifically which declares that members “shall take measures to combat the illicit transfer and non-return of children abroad”.

Through grassroots and digital campaign initiatives, the organisation raises awareness of the trafficking phenomena among youth across the world, consistently engaging both local and foreign partners and organisations in over 50 countries. Mission 89’s aim is to mitigate child trafficking in sports through research, education, and the implementation of mandatory regulations to keep sports training academies accountable for the safety and well-being of children in their care.

About Generation Amazing Foundation

The Generation Amazing Foundation (GA) is a human and social legacy-focused organisation that launched in 2010 during Qatar’s successful bid for the 2022 FIFA World Cup™.

GA operates its sport for development programmes in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and Qatar’s National Vision 2030, to promote sustainability, inclusion, and gender equality. GA’s unique methodology utilises the power of football to impart crucial life skills including communication, leadership, teamwork and compassion to youth and communities in need across the globe. Since its launch, GA, in collaboration with key partners, has reached and positively impacted over 1 million lives in 75 countries and counting.

Learn more at www.generationamazing.qa. Follow us @GA4Good on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

About UNODC

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is the leading UN agency in the fight against organised crime, illicit drugs, terrorism and corruption. Its presence around the globe and expertise allows it to support countries in developing comprehensive and effective solutions against threats to development and to achieve the SDGs.

UNODC provides technical assistance, research and normative support to Member States to help them develop and implement comprehensive, evidence-based solutions to the complex and interconnected threats that they face at the national, regional and global levels.

Our efforts centre on protecting people and our planet from criminal exploitation through inclusive, sustainable, human rights-based approaches.
Headquartered in Vienna with a network of over 130 offices around the world, UNODC advances justice, health and security to build resilient societies and improve everyday life for individuals, families and communities around the globe.

About Elastos

Elastos is a Web3 ecosystem powered by a suite of open-source, decentralized technologies for identity, security, communication, data storage and commerce. It gives developers the hardware and software tools to build truly decentralized applications from games to social platforms, DeFi, and marketplaces.

As the only Web3 ecosystem with a blockchain dedicated to DIF and W3C compliant decentralized identifiers (DIDs), a unique secure dual-chain architecture, and a hybrid consensus, Elastos champions self-sovereignty. By providing unlimited control, security and interoperability, as well as grants and guidance for those who wish to build a truly decentralized web, Elastos is on a mission to help everyone forge their own digital destiny.
Find out more at: https://elastos.info/digital-destiny

Stay tuned for more details about how Elastos decentralized tech stack is helping make the world a better place. Read the press release here.

The article and graphics were created by the Elavation Team

“Elastos has consistently demonstrated both its technical and strategic vision for the future of Web 3, and we hope more developers will discover this growing ecosystem. As a leading provider of cloud services, we are looking forward to helping shape the future of Web3 with Elastos.” – Howie Hao Jiang, Web3 Chief Solution Architect at Tencent Cloud Europe.

In an exciting development for the Web3 industry, Elastos has joined hands with Tencent Cloud. Aiming to foster innovation and accelerate the growth of Web3, bringing forth a more inclusive and secure modern internet. With their combined expertise and shared vision of empowering a more inclusive and secure Web3, Elastos and Tencent Cloud are poised to accelerate the Web3 space, offering developers and startups new opportunities for growth and success.

The partnership between Elastos and Tencent Cloud sets the stage for a wide array of collaborative initiatives. Elastos is exploring the use of Tencent Cloud as a cloud service partner, leveraging its formidable infrastructure for a range of technology-related services and platform operations. For Tencent Cloud, the collaboration with Elastos provides greater access to Web3 expertise and decentralized technologies for its customers.

Reinforcing Web3 Infrastructure with Joint Business Development

Both Elastos and Tencent Cloud understand the significance of robust infrastructure in ensuring the success of Web3 projects. Their cooperation involves joint efforts to present Tencent Cloud as a reliable infrastructure option for developers and validators within the Elastos ecosystem. This tactical partnership aims to augment developers’ experience with the ease of access to Tencent Cloud’s remarkable resources. The collaboration further delves into the possibility of promoting Tencent Cloud as an infrastructure provider for developers and startups launching applications on Elastos, thereby fostering a dynamic and supportive atmosphere.

Seamless Integrations

Tencent Cloud will provide customized offers and incentives to builders on Elastos, enhancing the ecosystem’s access to Tencent Cloud’s services. Additionally, Tencent Cloud will introduce Elastos to its ecosystem partners, creating new avenues for collaboration and. Moreover, Tencent Cloud will offer Elastos the opportunity to showcase relevant Web3-related products and offers on its marketplace, providing exposure to a vast customer base and driving Web3 adoption.

Unleashing the Potential of Startups in the Web3 Universe

To cultivate the growth of inventive startups within the Web3 sector, Elastos will extend an invite to Tencent Cloud to join the Elastos Ecosystem and provide support to the innovative projects arising from this vibrant community. This includes direct participation in Elastos’ upcoming ‘Destiny Calls’ startup grant programme that aims to offer valuable support and resources to startups looking to build decentralized solutions. Through the partnership, Tencent Cloud will have the opportunity to directly nominate startups for this program from their existing large ecosystem of partners.

Similarly, Elastos will become a partner to Tencent Cloud’s ‘Web3 Startup program’, offering valuable support and cloud resources for startups, whilst also having the opportunity to nominate startups for this program.

Additional Marketing Synergies

The partnership between Elastos and Tencent Cloud will include joint marketing activities, leveraging their respective digital channels to encourage shared initiatives and accomplishments. They will also participate in joint event activities at industry conferences and trade fairs, further amplifying their collective presence and impact within the Web3 space.

Future Innovations and Service Integration

Elastos and Tencent Cloud will continue to explore joint business and product development opportunities, aiming to integrate Elastos and Tencent’s platforms and solutions into new cutting-edge services. The two parties will explore the integration of multiple best in class service providers to give Elastos ecosystem builders and users multiple choices for Web3-related services, including identity solutions, further fortifying the security and expediency of user identity management in the digital landscape and creating a more seamless and secure digital experience for the growing community of Web3 explorers and advocates.

The strategic partnership between Elastos and Tencent Cloud marks a significant milestone in the advancement of Web3 and the creation of a more inclusive and secure modern internet. By leveraging Tencent Cloud’s expertise and resources, Elastos is poised to accelerate innovation and empower developers and startups to build the next generation of decentralized services and solutions within its ecosystem.

“Elastos has consistently demonstrated both its technical and strategic vision for the future of Web 3, and we hope more developers will discover this growing ecosystem. As a leading provider of cloud services, we are looking forward to helping shape the future of Web3 with Elastos,” says Howie Hao Jiang, Web3 Chief Solution Architect at Tencent Cloud Europe.

Together, Elastos and Tencent Cloud are driving the adoption of Web3 technologies, fostering a thriving and collaborative environment where the possibilities for decentralized applications and services are limitless.

Stay tuned for an upcoming webinar exploring the opportunities between Elastos and Tencent Cloud.