Bhutan: UNODC Empowers Law Enforcement Officials to Counter Trafficking in Persons

Thimphu, Bhutan/21 March 2023: Trafficking in Persons (TIP) is a heinous crime that affects millions of people worldwide every year. It is a multi-faceted crime that requires a multi-stakeholder approach and response to counter effectively. Since 2019, UNODC has been working with key government counterparts in Bhutan to enhance multi-stakeholder responses to counter TIP and strengthen the capacities of law enforcement officials, community leaders, young people, and criminal justice officials.

Through these efforts, law enforcement officials have received a capacity boost through specialised training programs. The latest training, held in Thimphu, equipped 46 investigators and prosecutors--28 male and 18 female officials--from the Royal Bhutan Police and the Royal Bhutan Army with the necessary knowledge and skills to tackle TIP more effectively.

The trainings, held in two batches, focused on national and international legislations related to TIP, investigation and prosecution skills, the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC), its supplementary TIP Protocol and victim-centred approaches.

Between July 2019 and March 2023, UNODC has trained 144 investigators and prosecutors across Bhutan, enabling stronger responses to detect, investigate, and prosecute cases of TIP in the country.

UNODC’s work in Bhutan has also been instrumental in raising awareness about the issue of TIP and the need for a coordinated response. These training programs have impacted not just the law enforcement officials who participated in them but also the broader community in Bhutan. This has also contributed to the development of a stronger network of stakeholders who are committed to preventing and countering human trafficking in Bhutan.

In February, Bhutan acceded to the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) and its Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children. Through its accession, Bhutan becomes the 191st party to the Convention the purpose of which is to promote cooperation to prevent and combat transnational organized crime more effectively.

This activity contributed to SDG 5 and SDG 16: https://sdg-tracker.org/

(Supported by the US Department of State/JTIP)