Brasília, Brazil - 15 June 2017 - Under the Global Action to Prevent and Address Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants (GLO.ACT), the 7 th Ordinary Meeting of the National Committee against Trafficking in Persons (CONATRAP) was held at the Brazilian National Secretariat of Justice and Citizenship, in Brasilia, Brazil, on the 31 May, 2017.
The GLO.ACT team was delighted to be able to facilitate the meeting as during 2016, no CONATRAP meetings were held due to political changes in Brazil. CONATRAP, set up in 2013, is mandated to meet three times a year and is linked to the Ministry of Justice and Public Security. CONATRAP's mission is to coordinate the actions of governmental and non-governmental entities in the fight against trafficking in persons. To date, there are 26 CONATRAP participants representing a broad range of government bodies, councils and civil society.
The agenda for the meeting was busy and included the Committee's follow-up of actions of the 6 th Ordinary Meeting, updates on trends and reports on Trafficking in Persons (TIP) as well as reports on activities in progress at the Ministry of Justice and Public Safety. During the meeting, participants also discussed the participation of CONTRAP at the International Seminar against Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling scheduled for the first week of August 2017, in Rio de Janeiro, and deliberated on the Public Defender's Office's pledge to become a member of the CONATRAP.
Participating in the event were Dr. Astério Pereira dos Santos, National Secretary of Justice and Citizenship, Mr. Jorge da Silva, Director of the Department of Justice Policies of the Ministry of Justice and Public Safety, Ms. Alessandra Xavier, Deputy Director of the Department of Justice Policies, and Ms. Renata Braz, Coordinator for Combating Trafficking in Persons (CETP). Ms. Fernanda Fuentes, National Programme Officer for GLO.ACT and Ms. Erica Kaefer, Project Assistant and IOM's focal point for GLO.ACT also took the opportunity to make a presentation on GLO.ACT to the Committee. The Committee is the only forum where civil society and government authorities come together to discuss and coordinate national anti-TIP actions and strategies.
The Deputy Director of the Department of Justice Policies, Ms. Alessandra Xavier, stated "The resumption of CONATRAP meetings, within the actions of GLO.ACT, signals an important step for public policy in combating Trafficking in Persons. Keeping this group cohesive and active, in addition to increasing the commitment of the government and civil society to combat this crime, will ensure that we make important progress on issues such as the drafting of the 3rd National Plan to Combat Trafficking in Persons."
As a result of the 7th Ordinary Meeting, which was an opportunity for all participants to reengage in the fight against TIP, the Public Defender's Office is now a member of the Committee. The Committee also issued a formal petition for the revision of a decree, promulgated by the Ministry of Justice and Public Safety that contradicts a normative resolution released by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, which aims to facilitate migration.
The next meeting is scheduled for August 2017, at the sidelines of the international seminar against Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling previously mentioned.
For further information, please contact:
Ms. Fernanda Patricia Fuentes Munoz
National Project Officer
Liaison and Partnership Office (LPO) in Brazil
fernanda.fuentes@unodc.org
www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/glo-act/
Email: glo.act@un.org
Twitter: @glo_act