UNODC is cosponsor of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS - UNAIDS
UNODC Projects in Myanmar
:: Human Trafficking
Human trafficking continues to be a significant problem throughout East Asia and the Pacific. Efforts to eradicate trafficking in the region have focused almost exclusively on source countries, of which Myanmar is one. Women are trafficked from Myanmar to Thailand and China for sexual exploitation and men are trafficked to China for labour exploitation.
Recent steps taken by the Government of Myanmar demonstrate a new willingness to tackle the problem of trafficking in human beings. These steps include the ratification of the UN Convention against Transnational Organised Crime
and its supplementing Protocol against Trafficking in Persons, in March 2004. Moreover, a Department against Transnational Organised Crime has been created within the Ministry of Home Affairs and a dedicated anti-trafficking unit established by the police force. The drafting of national anti-trafficking legislation took place in 2005 and included the participation of international experts to review and comment on the draft law. The law was enacted in September 2005.
At the regional level, Myanmar participates in the six-country COMMIT (Coordinated Mekong Ministerial Initiative against Trafficking) process. The participating nations - Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam - have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to fight trafficking and commenced work on a sub-regional Plan of Action.
However, the capacity of the government to effectively fight human trafficking remains limited, in particular when it comes to translating policy changes in Yangon into operational changes in the often remote areas where traffickers operate. Anti-trafficking groups and agencies have, in the past 12-18 months, begun to take into account the impact law and enforcement sectors can bring to this issue.
The UNODC office plans to strengthen its response to human trafficking issues in Myanmar through the implementation of projects and participation in related partnership initiatives. Activity areas include increasing the knowledge base of the problem, providing technical assistance to the law enforcement sector and the judiciary, facilitating access and improving the capacity of service providers and conducting awareness raising campaigns.
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and its supplementing Protocol against Trafficking in Persons, in March 2004. Moreover, a Department against Transnational Organised Crime has been created within the Ministry of Home Affairs and a dedicated anti-trafficking unit established by the police force. The drafting of national anti-trafficking legislation took place in 2005 and included the participation of international experts to review and comment on the draft law. The law was enacted in September 2005.
