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UNODC Regional Training Series on Preventing and Countering Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants in Eastern Africa launched in Nairobi 

Nairobi - July 2018 : UNODC Regional Office for Eastern Africa (UNODC ROEA) today launched the first in a series of twenty 5-day regional training workshops on "Preventing and Countering Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants in Eastern Africa" at the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON).

The series of regional training courses, is being delivered by UNODC within the framework of the UNODC Regional Programme for Eastern Africa (2016-2021) and the Better Migration Management (BMM) Programme, which is funded by the European Union and th German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The course aims to improve knowledge and skills of law enforcement, prosecution, immigration and customs practitioners and is the beginning of an academy-style training for criminal justice practitioners across Eastern Africa. The first two training workshops will primarily include criminal justice practitioners from Kenya, but the third and subsequent workshop will see participants from Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Uganda benefit from this practical course.

During this first training course, 18 criminal justice practitioners from Kenya will be testing the new and standardized regional training curriculum comprising a concise introduction to the international legal framework, including definitions of Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants; differences between, and indicators of Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants; victim referral, support and assistance; and improved national coordination as well international cooperation. The training curriculum utilizes the UNODC Anti-Human Trafficking Manual for Criminal Justice Practitioners ( http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/2009/anti-human-trafficking-manual.html), UNODC Basic Training Manual on Investigating and Prosecuting the Smuggling of Migrants ( http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/migrant-smuggling/electronic-basic-training-manual-on-investigating-and-prosecuting-smuggling-of-migrants.html) and various UNODC Global e-Learning modules ( http://www.unodc.org/elearning/index.html). The training comprises lectures, computer-based training and group exercises with the goal of enhancing and strengthening knowledge about the complexity of investigations and prosecutions of Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants. The series of training will be hosted at UNON.

Human trafficking and smuggling of migrants continue to pose serious threats to Eastern Africa and beyond. In his opening remarks, Dr. Amado Philip de Andrés, UNODC Regional Representative for Eastern Africa, emphasized that "Women and girls are being trafficked for exploitation: forced into domestic labor, prostitution or marriage. Men and women, trapped by debt, slave away in mines, plantations, or sweatshops". He added that "we all have a role to play, either in raising awareness, building partnerships, providing information, protecting victims, or bringing the criminals to justice. That is indeed the objective of this course, to provide students with the knowledge allowing them to identify these crimes, the victims and vulnerable migrants who are being exploited, to enhance the criminal justice responses to these crimes with a victim-centered approach, through knowledge, skill and understanding".

During his opening presentation, Johan Kruger, UNODC Head of Transnational Organized Crime, Illicit Trafficking and Terrorism Programmes, underscored that the fight against trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants required a multi-jurisdictional and transnational approach. Therefore, Mr. Kruger highlighted the importance of understanding the importance of strong regional and international cooperation in preventing, suppressing and prosecuting human trafficking and migrant smuggling with due regard for the need to protect and assist victims of trafficking as well as the need to respect and protect the rights of migrants.

"We thank the EU and Germany for not only supporting UNODC and other partners in countering Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants, but for effectively saving the people from Eastern Africa from these crimes" concluded Dr. Amado Philip de Andrés, UNODC Regional Representative for Eastern Africa.

The BMM programme is being implemented by GIZ, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the British Council, Civipol, Expertise France, the Italian Ministry of the Interior and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The BMM programme aims at improving migration management in the region, and in particular at addressing trafficking and smuggling of migrants within, and from the Horn of Africa.