Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic - 27 July 2017 - According to Mr. Almazbek Asanbayev, Deputy Chairperson of the State Migration Service in the Kyrgyz Republic "civil society is an important strategic partner in the process of policy making aimed at preventing human trafficking." Recognising the vital role civil society plays in the fight against Trafficking in Persons (TIP), the Global Action against Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants (GLO.ACT), organized on the 30 May 2017, in partnership with the NGO "El Аgartuu" a forum for representatives of 41 civil society organizations from all seven provinces of the Kyrgyz Republic .
Frequently, civil society representatives are the first point of contact for human trafficking victims. The intended outcome of the forum was therefore to establish a unified platform to coordinate activities of civil society organizations in the field of prevention of human trafficking, as well as implementation of relevant parts of the new 2017-2020 National Action Plan on Countering Trafficking in Persons of the Kyrgyz Republic.
Opening the form, Mr. Asanbayev said that: "We hope that this forum will enable the civil society and governmental bodies to join their efforts to ensure the successful implementation of the new 2017-2020 National Action Plan on Countering Trafficking in Persons of the Kyrgyz Republic." While, during her opening speech, Ms. Nurjan Tulegabylova, Director of "El Agartuu", pointed out that: "Our organization has been working in the field of prevention of human trafficking for over 10 years. There is currently a pressing need for joint civil society action given that its involvement is an essential component of a comprehensive approach to address TIP."
Participants of the forum emphasized that numerous initiatives and activities aimed at preventing human trafficking, especially awareness-raising events organized by civil society organizations, have been essential in promoting more active government engagement in this area as well as raising awareness of the general population and vulnerable groups.
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 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) and reaches thirteen countries across Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America. 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.
For more information, please contact:
Madina Sarieva
madina.sarieva@un.org
www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/glo-act/
Email: glo.act@un.org
Twitter: @glo_act