Mchinji, Malawi: UNODC's partnership with the Government of Malawi to combat human trafficking bears fruit: Thanks to the new anti-trafficking coordination structures established in Mchinji with the support of UNODC, 61 victims of trafficking were rescued in 2018.
Speaking during the first meeting of the Mchinji District Committee for Coordination of trafficking in persons interventions, Mr. Kaitano Lubrino, Public Relations Officer for the District Police Station and Sectretary of the Committee, stated that "The District committee has registered 14 cases of human trafficking, which involved 17 alleged perpetrators (11 Malawians, 5 Zambians and 1 Mozambican) and 61 victims (40 adults and 21 children)".
Mr. Lubrino also stressed that the Committee has been reaching out to the communities on issues of human trafficking, including with bicycle and taxi operators, and is engaging them to report suspects to police. The district committee has also conducted joint patrols and held consultations with the police of Zambia.
As a result of the Committee's actions, Mchinji District is now witnessing an increased flow of information on human trafficking, as evidenced by the number of cases registered, victims rescued and perpetrators arrested in 2018.
The Government of Malawi had identified the district of Mchinji, which shares borders with the Republic of Zambia and Mozambique, as a pilot site for the establishment of the first district structure for coordination of anti-trafficking efforts. The Committee was established following an on-site training of front-line officers on trafficking in persons conducted by UNODC in 2018 in Mchinji.
UNODC carries out anti-trafficking work in Malawi under project "Strengthening the implementation of a comprehensive response to trafficking in persons in Malawi", in collaboration with the Government of Malawi and with the financial support of the United Kingdom. Implemented as part of the UNODC Global Programme against Trafficking in Persons, jointly with the UNODC Regional Office for Southern Africa, this project contributes to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and in particular SDG 16 on Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.