Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil - 18 December 2017 - The Global Action against Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants ( GLO.ACT) facilitated the II Regional Symposium on combatting trafficking in persons (TIP) and the smuggling of migrants (SOM) together with the National Secretariat of Justice and Citizenship, the State Committee for Preventing and Combating Trafficking in Persons of Mato Grosso, the State Committee to Combat Trafficking in Persons of Mato Grosso do Sul, the Nucleus to Combat Trafficking in Persons of the Federal District, and the Nucleus to combat Trafficking in Persons of Goiás, from 4 to 7 December 2017 in Goiania, Goias.
The main objectives of the symposium were:
According to a 2002 report by Childhood Brazil, the central-western region, which includes the states of Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Goiás and the Federal District, was identified as a route for internal TIP, primarily for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Since then, there has been a growing need for more in-depth knowledge regarding TIP, while taking into consideration some of the specific features of the region. The region's dry border facilitates the transit of people, including TIP for the purpose of slavery, sexual exploitation, child labour and domestic servitude. Reports by women, men, transgender, adolescents and child victims, who were taken from their cities of origin to other cities/countries under the false promise of a well-paid job, only to then find themselves being exploited and profited from, have also come to the authorities' attention.
As a result, the State Committee for Preventing and Combating Trafficking in Persons of Mato Grosso do Sul was created in 2002. This was followed by the State Nucleus to Combat Trafficking in Persons of Goiás in 2008, the State Committee for Preventing and Combating Trafficking in Persons of Mato Grosso in 2010, and the State Nucleus to Combat Trafficking in Persons of the Federal District in 2011. It is in context that representatives of the states of the central-western region decided to join forces to address the situation and challenges. In November 2016, the State Committee for Preventing and Combating Trafficking in Persons of Mato Grosso, in partnership with the State Nucleus to fight Trafficking in Persons of Goiás, held the I Regional Symposium on combating TIP in the city of Cuiaba, Mato Grosso. This was the first time that representatives from all four states met to exchange best practices as well as coordinate regional action.
In light of the need for additional networking amongst the states and to ensure further action will be taken by key stakeholder, the II Regional Symposium on combatting TIP and SOM focused on the further development of a two-year action plan for the region. In fact, during the symposium participants were divided into smaller groups to discuss prevention, protection and prosecution matters in more detail and to start developing the regional action plan. Ideas voiced during these sessions included the importance of establishing a reliable database on TIP that can inform public policies, the development of punitive mechanisms for commercial establishments that are involved in TIP and the development of a regionally standardized referral system for TIP victims and having specialized areas for TIP within police stations, to name just a few.
In all, 151 people participated in the symposium with 16 representatives from the Federal District, 65 representatives from Goiás, 40 representatives from Mato Grosso, 16 representatives from Mato Grosso do Sul and 14 representatives belonging to other states.
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 visit:
Ms. Fernanda Patricia Fuentes Munoz
National Project Officer
Liaison and Partnership Office in Brazil
fernanda.fuentes@unodc.org
https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/glo-act/
Email: glo.act@un.org
Twitter: @glo_act