NGOs and Law Enforcement: Strengthening the Cooperation to Better Serve Victims


NGO representatives in Kazakhstan The project conducted a series of National Consultative Meetings, which took place in Kazakhstan (15 November), Tajikistan (19 October), Turkmenistan (22 November) and Uzbekistan (23 October).  The meetings discussed the ways to improve the mechanisms of cooperation among governmental agencies and NGOs to ensure efficient protection and assistance to the victims of human trafficking and smuggled migrants. The members of the National Anti-Human Trafficking Interagency Commissions and representatives of governmental agencies, various NGOs, OSCE, IOM and the donors (US Embassy, EU) attended the meetings. The meetings reviewed the assessment report with regard to status of cooperation mechanisms among NGOs and law enforcement agencies. The main outcomes of these meetings in some countries were the agreement between NGOs and Government agencies to sign MOUs or Joint Plans of Actions to provide better assistance and protection services to victims and further strengthen national referral mechanisms in line with the existing National Action Plans to combat human trafficking. In particular, in Uzbekistan, it was decided to include specific activities into the new National Action Plan to combat human trafficking for 2013-2014 to strengthen the cooperation between NGOs and law enforcement agencies. In Turkmenistan, the meeting led to the proposal for UNODC to provide assistance in the creation of the National Anti-Human Trafficking Interagency Commission and proposal to conclude MOUs between NGOs and law enforcement agencies. In Tajikistan, the meeting led to request of the provision of support to review of the new Law on Migrants and design a new project on interview rooms for children in courts. In Kazakhstan, the meeting led to the proposal for UNODC to consider joint activities in the frame of the new National Action Plan to combat human trafficking for 2012-2013 on strengthening the cooperation mechanisms between NGOs and law enforcement agencies.