GLO.ACT Asia and the Middle East stress on effective utilisation of data pertaining to TIP and SOM and how data can be presented efficiently

11 December 2019, Lahore. Under the EU funded GLO.ACT (Global Action to Address Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants) Asia and the Middle East project, UNODC COPAK conducted a two-day training workshop on Data Collection, Management, Research, and Analytical Skills for the Federal Investigation Agency and Punjab Police in Lahore, the capital of Punjab province. The main aim of this training was to impart education on the differences between the crimes of Trafficking in Persons (TIP) and Smuggling of Migrants (SOM), and the various methods of preserving the data on these subjects, which can then be used for policy development as well as for better law enforcement. 18 officials from FIA and Punjab Police attended the training workshop.

Mr Ehsan Gilani, Senior Programme Associate UNODC, in the first session explained to the participants the differences between TIP and SOM. He gave detailed definitions of the two crimes, their core elements, and the ways in which each differs from the other in every key aspect. In doing so he told the audience of the push and the pull factors that lead to illegal migration. To generate further understanding he emphasised the purposes behind exploitation. In this context he stated that the false stories used by those operating the systems of TIP and SOM, and the vulnerability of certain segments of society, were important reasons for the high level of occurrence of these crimes.

The other sessions of the training were dedicated to Data Collection and its management, research, and analysis. UNODC Trainers took the lead on this, and discussed the topic in thorough terms. The term 'Data' was defined, and participants informed of its different types. The discussion was then moved onto the qualities of good data; and in an interactive session with the trainees the trainers helped them identify some of the problems needing to be addressed within the government departments. The constant involvement of the audience through this participatory approach was promising.

During the two days the participants were divided into groups of 4 and given activities to demonstrate their learnings. These comprised: 1) discussing barriers to data collection and how the situation could be improved; 2) the effective utilisation of data pertaining to Trafficking in Persons; 3) highlighting the indicators for SOM and TIP data collection; and 4) how data can be presented efficiently.

In concluding the workshop, the importance of coordination between various stakeholders and of information sharing between governmental departments was emphasized. The participants were thanked for attending the workshop, and applauded for their valuable contribution.

The Global Action Against Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants - Asia and the Middle East ( GLO.ACT-Asia and the Middle East) is a four-year (2018-2022), €12 million joint initiative by the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), being implemented in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), in a total of five countries: the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Islamic Republic of Iran, Republic of Iraq, and Islamic Republic of Pakistan, while consultations with the People's Republic of Bangladesh are underway. The project builds on a global community of practice set in motion in GLO.ACT 2015-2019, and assists governmental authorities and civil society organizations in targeted, innovative, and demand-driven interventions: sustaining effective strategy and policy development, legislative review and harmonization, capability development, and regional and trans-regional cooperation. The project also provides direct assistance to victims of human trafficking and to vulnerable migrants through the strengthening of identification, referral, and protection mechanisms.  

 

The project is funded by the European Union.

 

For more information, please contact: -

 

Ms Shahida Gillani, National Project Officer, UNODC

Email: Shahida.gillani@un.org 

 

For more information, please visit: -

https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/glo-act2/index.html

 

Email: glo.act@un.org

Twitter:   @glo_act

 

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