Bogotá D.C, Colombia 8 April 2019 - Since 2017 UNODC, under the Global Action to Prevent and Address Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants ( GLO.ACT), has supported the national government in developing a comprehensive strategy to address the Smuggling of Migrants (SOM). These efforts recently culminated in the adoption of the countries' first ever strategy on SOM by the third Intersectoral Commission to Combat Smuggling of Migrants on 25 March 2019.
Over the course of the past three years, UNODC provided technical assistance in order to help develop a viable strategy. This included hosting workshops, discussions and validation roundtables with multiple State entities and institutions, thus ensuring that as a broad range of key stakeholders had inputted into the development of the strategy.
Speaking about the adoption of the strategy, Mr. Gilberto Zuleta, GLO.ACT's National Project Officer and thematic coordinator for human trafficking and migrant smuggling for Colombia, highlighted the effort made by the national government, in cooperation with UNODC, to strengthen the approach to combat this crime. He said, "UNODC commends the governments efforts to combat migrant smuggling and we reiterate our commitment to provide support, not only in the development of such key strategies but also in their implementation."
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 contact:
Gilberto Zuleta Ibarra
Gilberto.zuleta@un.org
www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/glo-act/
glo.act@un.org
Twitter: @glo_act