UNODC held a multi-stakeholder coordination meeting on countering trafficking in persons in Uzbekistan

On 4 October 2022, UNODC in cooperation with the Sub-commission on Combating Trafficking in Persons and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan held the third multi-stakeholder coordination meeting on countering trafficking in persons (TIP) in Uzbekistan. 

 

The event brought together the key actors in the field of countering TIP, including representatives of the Sub-commission on Combating Trafficking in Persons, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Prosecutor General’s Office, the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), International Organization for Migration, Winrock International and the Republican Social Information Centre “Istiqbolli Avlod”.

Mr. Azizbek Nasretdinov, Representative of the Sub-Commission on Combating TIP, Officer of the Department for Combating TIP and Illegal Migration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan expressed appreciation for close collaboration and partnership. He also emphasized “due victim identification and referral as well as crime detection and investigation remain one of the key components of anti-trafficking agenda, and thus we are happy to cooperate with UNODC in this regard”.

Dr. Reda Sirgediene, UNODC Regional Adviser on Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants for Central Asia, provided an overview of the previous coordination meetings and emphasized the importance of consistent and constant coordination of the counter-TIP efforts and expressed appreciation to all partners for their active cooperation in planning and implementing joint activities.

During the tour de table, participants discussed, among the other things, the progress, and challenges in countering TIP, as well as the planned activities in 2022 and 2023. Furthermore, partners indicated the importance of capacity building in detection and investigation of online and technology-facilitated TIP crimes in the cyber space.

 

All stakeholders of the coordination meeting reiterated their commitment to continue the present cooperation and to stimulate a comprehensive approach to tackle TIP.

Multi-stakeholder counter-TIP coordination meetings initiative was launched in February 2022 as a platform to unite government authorities, donors, international and non-governmental organizations for more sustainable and efficient coordination of counter-TIP efforts supported by international organizations and donors in Uzbekistan.

Strengthening the coordination of counter-TIP efforts is one of the top priorities of the Action plan (Roadmap) between the Republic of Uzbekistan and UNODC ROCA on countering trafficking in persons in Uzbekistan in 2022. These activities are being carried out within the framework of the UNODC Global Programme against Trafficking in Persons and the UNODC Programme for Central Asia 2022–2025 and are funded by INL.

 

For further information please contact:

Arifa Fatikhova 

Communications and External Relations Officer

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) 

Regional Office for Central Asia

Mobile: (+998 93) 505-05-58 | Email: arifa.fatikhova[at]un.org