07th September 2021 - Cairo, Egypt
The pressure on law enforcement and criminal justice systems to effectively identify, investigate, prosecute and adjudicate human trafficking cases in accordance with the rule of law continues to grow. Accordingly, raising awareness and providing training for law enforcement officers, is crucial to ensure that cases are identified, perpetrators brought to justice and victims are protected.
In an effort to address cross-border trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants in Libya, UNODC, in collaboration with the State of Libya, organized the first roundtable discussions meeting in Cairo, Egypt within the framework of the project "Dismantling Criminal Networks Operating in North Africa and Involved in Migrant Smuggling and Human Trafficking” which is funded by the European Union (EU).
The purpose of the meeting was to jointly identify and select the key hub cities (KHCs) along the smuggling routes and to jointly assess and develop the work plan related to the identification and interception pillar to enhance the investigative capacities of the Libyan Ministry of Interior (MoI) in its endeavor to tackle migrant smuggling and human trafficking cases.
The meeting was attended by officials from Tripoli and Benghazi representing the Libyan Criminal Investigation Directorate (CID), the Libyan Police Training Institute, and the International Cooperation Directorate.
During the discussions, the Libyan counterparts provided presentations on the organizational structure of the concerned directorates, mandates, roles and responsibilities, human resources as well as the critical needs required to enhance their investigative capacities to counter transnational human trafficking and smuggling of migrants.
These discussions led by UNODC, resulted in identifying and selecting the major five KHCs along the smuggling routes, namely Tripoli, Ghadames, Kufra, Qatrun, and Ajdabiya, as well as the drafting and agreeing on a joint capacity-building work plan to be implemented upon the endorsement of the Minister of Interior, starting August 2021.
"Dismantling the criminal networks operating in North Africa and involved in migrant smuggling and human trafficking" is a three-year (2019-2022) €15 million regional joint initiative by the European Union and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) under the framework of the North Africa Window of the European Union Emergency Trust Fund for Africa.
For more information:
UNODC’s Global Report on Trafficking in Persons 2020
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