The permanent delegations of Qatar and Holland to the United Nations (UN) Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) organised a meeting at the headquarters of Holland's permanent delegation in New York to launch the committee's report. 
The report was financed by Qatar and Holland to identify, explore, and address the nexus between human trafficking and terrorism. Qatar’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif al-Thani, said, “Qatar has always called on the international community to pay attention to the dangers of human trafficking and terrorism.” 
Sheikha Alya pointed out that the root causes of terrorism and human trafficking were the same. 
“It was not strange to find a link between the two, given that terrorists benefit financially from transnational organised crime, including human trafficking. It was necessary to study these dangerous illegal activities in order to stop them,” she said while referring to Security Council resolution 2331 in that regard, adopted and co-sponsored by Qatar, which recognised the link between the financing of terrorism and trafficking of human beings.
Sheikha Alya referred to the membership of Qatar in the Group of Friends to combat trafficking in human beings. Qatar was one of the most important donors to the Trust Fund for Victims of Human Trafficking in persons, which has become a legally binding universal instrument for the protection and assistance of victims of trafficking with full respect for their human rights. 
She stressed Qatar’s commitment to the fight against the heinous crimes, noting the country's role as facilitator of the UN General Assembly resolution to assess the UN Global Plan of Action against Trafficking in Persons and the adoption of the Political Declaration of 2017 on the implementation of the UN Global Plan of Action against Trafficking in Persons.
Sheikha Alya referred in that context to the memorandum of understanding signed by Qatar with the African Union Commission, under which Qatar pledged to establish an African Union-sponsored fund and a $20mn grant to reintegrate and integrate irregular and vulnerable migrants into their communities.
The CTED provided a review of the main findings of its study, emphasising that trafficking in persons constitutes a serious violation of human rights and that it is the most profitable organised crime activity. The study linked trafficking, war and conflict, and highlighted the strong link between terrorist groups and human trafficking to finance terrorism. 
It reviewed the study on sexual violence and enslavement, especially for women and girls victims of terrorism and human trafficking. It also called for strengthening national and international laws to ensure that the perpetrators of the heinous crimes do not go unpunished. 
The study also called upon the real stakeholders of states, the private and public sector to establish a system of financial control and to strengthen cooperation at the regional and international levels.