UNODC is cosponsor of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS - UNAIDS
Conference of Nodal Police Officers of States / Union Territories on Anti Human Trafficking (AHT) for Sharing Good Practices of AHT on 23 August 2007 at the Institute of Social Sciences, New Delhi
Background and context
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Regional Office for South Asia in coordination with the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, is implementing project IND/S16 on "
Strengthening Law
Enforcement Response to Human Trafficking". The project aims to intensify efforts to combat trafficking through capacity building of law enforcement (police and prosecutors) in five states - Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Goa, Maharashtra, and West Bengal.
Participants at the Conference listening to a presentation of a Case Study on Good Practice
One of the major strategies of the project is to produce manuals, tools and resource books that can be utilized by the law enforcement agencies and all other stake holders in the process of anti human trafficking. Therefore, a
Compendium of Best Practices by Law Enforcement Agencies on Anti is being developed with the purpose of creating a data base of stories on exemplary acts / performance by the police, prosecution and other law enforcement agencies in the field of human trafficking. This Compendium gives tremendous opportunity to showcase the good work performed at various levels of police and highlight the achievements and outputs by the Indian police in preventing and combating Human Trafficking (HT) and in addressing HT in all its aspects, including initiatives by individuals, institutions, partnerships, networks, etc.
The Conference
Project IND/S16 and Institute of Social Sciences (ISS), New Delhi had organized a one day conference on 23 August 2007 of Nodal Police Officers of States / Union Territories on Anti Human Trafficking (AHT) for sharing and collating 'Good Practices' of AHT. Institute of Social Sciences, Vasant Kunj, Nelson Mandela Marg, New Delhi is in the process of compilation of this Compendium. 25 senior police officers came from all over India to participate in the conference and share their case studies. Mr. K Skandan Joint Secretary (Centre States) from the Ministry of Home Affairs was present at the Inauguration along with Mr. George Mathew, Director, ISS and Mr. Sankar Sen, Senior Fellow, ISS.
The 'Good Practices' which will be included in the Compendium will cover all the following aspects -
Prevention of trafficking - at Source - Transit - Destination, that is on all the routes of trafficking.
Prosecution of offences - including investigation, identification of traffickers and other offenders, arrest and detention, interrogation, prosecution, conviction, post - conviction activities, confiscation of assets of offenders, etc.
Protection of victims - including identification of victims, care and attention during rescue and post - rescue situations, counselling, networking with different agencies for rehabilitation of victim, taking steps for rehabilitation, preventing trafficking, empowering vulnerable sections, addressing adolescents on trafficking, gender rights, HIV and other issues related to trafficking.
Media reporting and its impact on police functioning in anti human trafficking.
Police partnerships with the corporates and how such 'Good Practices' have impacted prevention / combating trafficking.
The Indian police enjoy the reputation of delivering the best despite heavy odds. Regrettably the exceptional work done by the police remains undocumented, unrecorded and largely unrecognized, except for a few instances. The police at several levels have done good work in the field of anti human trafficking. The law enforcement agencies and all other stakeholders at the conferences shared their experiences and highlight the 'good practices' followed by them on the aspects mentioned above related to anti human trafficking.
Prof. B S Baviskar, retired from the Department of Sociology, University of Delhi and presently Senior Fellow, ISS summed up the proceedings of the conference as follows -
Observations
The police officials approached their work in the field of anti human trafficking with a goal oriented approach.
There was lot of police - NGO collaboration and synergy.
The police performed their duties with commitment and dedication almost like social workers.
Most importantly the common man would feel extremely proud for such police officers.
Future
The law enforcement officials had already embarked on a new venture.
Exchanging such experiences is in itself one of its kind event, which has never been attempted before.
There is an urgent requirement of more periodic experience sharing of this kind.
The sharing, collecting and collating of police experience is the first of its kind in India.
Suggestions
An association / forum of anti trafficking officers should be formed.
Such an association can create an all - India database of good practices.
A newsletter should be brought out to disseminate information on the all the good work being done by the police officials in dealing with the scourge of human trafficking.
This process of sharing of experiences, good practices and case studies should be institutionalized.
