Thi Hoang

Thi is an anti-human trafficking and technology expert. She was the Managing Editor of the LSE Press's Journal of Illicit Economies and Development (JIED) and Analyst at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC), where she also coordinated and managed the International Association for the Study of Organized Crime (IASOC)'s activities such as IASOC annual prizes, events, monthly bulletins, and the 24-hour conference on organized crime (OC24).

Thi worked on and co-coordinates the Responsible & Ethical Business Coalition against Trafficking (RESPECT) Initiative, which serves as a platform for thought leaders, practitioners, and policy makers and to mobilise the business community as a strategic partner to tackle human trafficking. Her other projects included the Modern Slavery Map, an interactive map for business of anti-human trafficking organisations, and the Tech Against Trafficking initiative, a coalition of technology companies and stakeholders aiming to help eradicate human trafficking using technology, where Thi was its Research Lead from 2018 until 2023.

Thi also worked on and co-ordinated the Drugs & Development Hub (DDH) initiative, jointly launched by the London School of Economics (LSE), the Global Partnership on Drug Policies and Development (GPDPD), and GI-TOC to create new perspectives for integrated drug policies.

She is currently a member of the European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR)'s Standing Group on Organised Crime (SGOC), and a member of the European Society of Criminology. Thi is supporting the Regional Academy on the United Nations (RAUN) as a Programme Coordinator and the Pacific Links Foundation as a Regional Advisor.
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Publications


​Contributions

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Invited talks & trainings delivered

  • 'Online child sexual exploitation and abuse in West Africa – Understanding an under-reported phenomenon from a policy, legal, and social perspective'. In panel 'Technology facilitated trafficking and other forms of online exploitation – Analysis from a legal, social and governance perspective', organized by the HEROES project's consortium including ICMPD, UCM, and VUB at the 20th IMISCOE Annual Conference, Warsaw, Poland and online, 3-6 July 2023.

  • 'Victim-centred approach, recent stats and analysis on technology and trafficking in persons'. Regional Expert Group Meeting on Addressing Cyber and Technology facilitated Trafficking in Persons for Sexual Exploitation, including Children in South Eastern Europe, organized by UNODC in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior of Montenegro and the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, Podgorica, Montenegro, and online, 21-22 June 2023.

  • 'Tech, human trafficking, and demand'. Reducing demand and preventing human trafficking, organized by ERA, Krakow, 5-6 June 2023.

  • 'Human trafficking in the Afghan context'. UNODC side event at the 66th CND session, 'The future of illicit economies in Afghanistan', organized by UNODC and GITOC, online and in Vienna, 16 March 2023.

  • 'Trafficking in persons for forced criminality and labour exploitation in SEZs in Southeast Asia'. Training on digital evidence and online investigation in handling trafficking in persons cases, organized by ASEAN-Act and Vietnam's Ministry of Public Security, online and in Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Vietnam, 14-16 March 2023.

  • 'Cyber-enabled crime, vulnerable groups, and COVID-19: How digital technologies and COVID-19 are changing the landscape of human trafficking'. ASEAN-Australia Cyber capacity building workshop, organized by the Asia Foundation, the Australian Government and Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs, Singapore, 2 March 2023.

  • 'Forced labour in global supply chains'. Interlaw workshop, online and in Bangkok, 23 February 2023.

  • Governing opportunities and risks of digital currencies, organized by Swiss Re Institute - Center for Global Dialogue, IRGC, EPFL, Zürich, 25-26 October 2022.

  • 'State of the field: Technology solutions to fight trafficking'. Tech Against Trafficking Summit, Seattle, 27–28 September 2022.

  • 'Tech, human trafficking, and demand'. Reducing demand and preventing human trafficking, organized by ERA, Lisbon, 8-9 September 2022.

  • 'Cambodia's trafficked brides: The escalating phenomenon of forced marriage in China'. Asian region anti-trafficking conference, organized by Chab Dai Coalition, The Freedom Story, Dark Bali, Red Oak Hope, & The Rotary Club, online 19-20 July. 

  • 'An assessment of commercial sexual exploitation of children and child protection responses in the Western Balkans'. Regional Expert Group Meeting on Addressing Cyber and Technology facilitated Trafficking in Persons for Sexual Exploitation, including Children in South Eastern Europe, organized by UNODC in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior of Montenegro and the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, Tivat, Montenegro, 5-6 July 2022.

  • 'Human trafficking in conflict contexts - Case studies: Afghanistan and Ukraine'. Alliance Expert Co-ordination Team Meeting, organized by the OSCE, Vienna and online, 5 July 2022.

  • 'Bride trafficking of Cambodian and Vietnamese women and girls into China'. 4th General Conference on Organised Crime: Crossing territorial and disciplinary (b)orders - Empirical, analytical an policy perspectives on organised crime, organized by ECPR Standing Group on Organised Crime, Pisa and online 4-6 July.

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