VIENNA, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- The first international anti-human trafficking forum launched by the United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UN.GIFT) will be held here from Wednesday through Friday.

    The forum will gather some 1,000 officials and delegates from around 100countries and non-governmental organizations to raise awareness about human trafficking, its influence and countermeasures.

    Doris Buddenberg, head of UN.GIFT, said at a press conference before the forum that human trafficking is a global issue and the forum is aimed to coordinate all efforts in the fight against this crime.

    Kristiina Kangaspunto from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said that human trafficking is closely linked with other crimes like corruption and money laundering.

    According to the estimates of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), around 2.5 million people, including women and children, but mostly youngsters aged between 18 and 24, become victims of human trafficking worldwide every year.

    They were trafficked for purposes such as forced labor, sexual exploitation, the removal of organs and body parts, forced marriages, child adoption, begging, and warfare. Furthermore, 95 percent of the victims suffered violence or sexual assault.

    As host of the forum, Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik said in a declaration that human trafficking had become the third largest financial source of unlawful organizations.

    UN.GIFT was launched in March 2007 by the UNODC. It is managed in cooperation with IOM, the International Labor Organization, the United Nations Children's Fund, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.