Niamey, Niger - 22 November 2018 - Trafficking in Persons is a complex reality in Niger. The authorities of Niger have made combating this phenomenon a governmental priority. Considerable efforts have been made, in particular, through the National Agency for Combating Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants (ANLTP / TIM), which has undertaken specific actions in the areas of prevention and the suppression of human trafficking, as well as measures of protection and assistance to victims.
In this context, all the actors in the criminal justice chain involved in the fight against trafficking in persons have been trained to improve detection, investigation and prosecution of the perpetrators of these crimes as well as to protect the victims. Diplomatic and consular staff, who are in the front line of this phenomenon, needed to be trained on human trafficking, especially in the countries of destination where Nigeriens are regularly victims of exploitation. Until now they had not yet received any training on trafficking. Accordingly, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), jointly with ANLTP / TIM, organized a training workshop for diplomats and consular officials to make them aware of their crucial role in the fight against trafficking in persons and to provide them with operational means and good practices that can help them strengthen their actions in this area.
This activity took place in Niamey from 24 - 26 of July 2018 and brought together 20 participants, including 1 woman, from Nigerien diplomatic and consular representations abroad located in countries heavily affected by the phenomenon of human trafficking, such as Algeria, Belgium, France, Italy, Kuwait, Libya, Marocco or Saudi Arabia. Funded by the European Union (EU), Mr Abass Malam, who works for the EU Delegation in Niger, spoke at the opening ceremony of this workshop to express his institution's willingness to continue to support the Niger's efforts in the fight against human trafficking and the smuggling of migrants. Also present on this occasion were the Cabinet Director of the Minister of Justice and the Minister Delegate at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in charge of African integration and Nigeriens abroad, Mrs. Salamatou Balla Goga. Each participant was provided with the basics of human trafficking, in order to be able to support the national effort to combat this form of human rights abuse by better identifying and taking into account trafficking victims. The training, both theoretical and practical, focused on the role of diplomatic and consular representations in guiding, assisting and protecting the rights of victims of trafficking and smuggled migrants.
This activity is part of the Global Action to Prevent and Combat Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants ( GLO.ACT), which is a four-year joint initiative (2015-2019) of the European Union (EU) and UNODC, and implemented jointly with IOM and UNICEF. This event also contributes to the Regional Strategy against Trafficking in Human Beings and Smuggling of Migrants (2015-2020) and to the UNODC Regional Program for West Africa (2016-2020) .
The Global Action to Prevent and Address Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants (GLO.ACT) is a four-year (2015-2019), €11 million joint initiative by the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The project is being implemented in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). GLO.ACT aims to provide assistance to governmental authorities and civil society organizations across 13 strategically selected countries: Belarus, Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Kyrgyz Republic, Lao PDR, Mali, Morocco, Nepal, Niger, Pakistan, South Africa, Ukraine. GLO.ACT works with the 13 countries to plan and implement strategic national counter-trafficking and counter smuggling efforts through a prevention, protection, prosecution, and partnerships approach. It supports the development of more effective responses to trafficking and smuggling, including providing assistance to victims of trafficking and vulnerable migrants through the strengthening of identification, referral, and direct support mechanisms.
For more information, please visit:
www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/glo-act/
Email: glo.act@un.org
Twitter: @glo_act
Regional Strategy to Combat Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants
United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and additional protocols