Marrakesh, Morocco 14 December 2018 - During migration week and in the lead up to the intergovernmental conference to adopt the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, the International Organization for Migration ( IOM), under the framework of the Global Action against Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants ( GLO.ACT), launched on 8 December 2018, an advance version of its Handbook on the Protection and Assistance of Migrants Vulnerable to Violence, Exploitation and Abuse.
The Handbook provides practical guidance for States, the private sector, international organizations and civil society on how to identify, refer, protect and assist migrants vulnerable to violence, exploitation, and abuse and on what actions to take to mitigate and reduce their vulnerability. The guidance is applicable in countries of origin, transit, and destination.
The event bought together representatives from all three GLO.ACT implementing agencies, the European Union, as well as the Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons (TIP), Dr. Maria Grazia Giammarinaro, and a member of the Brazilian Public Defenders Office ( DPU) to discuss operational tools to address and reduce vulnerabilities in migration.
Speaking during the event, Mr. Ilias Chatzis, Chief of UNODC Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling section, stressed important protection provisions contained within the Smuggling of Migrants Protocol and highlighted correlating State obligations. He also pointed out that UNODC considers GLO.ACT a flagship project because of the buy-in of the countries and he cited the work undertaken with the DPU in Brazil as a key example. GLO.ACT primarily supports the DPU's mobile assistance Itinerant DPU programme. The Itinerant DPU aims to reach those living in risky and remote areas that do not have access to legal assistance. The DPU is responsible for providing full legal representation, free of charge, to those who cannot afford legal services, especially the vulnerable.
Ms. Heather Komenda from IOM explained during her intervention why the Handbook was developed. She said, "Firstly, it was developed to address gaps in the operational protection of migrants vulnerable to violence, exploitation and abuse. Secondly, to improve sustainability of intervention by addressing migrant vulnerability at all relevant levels: individual, household/family, community and structural."
The final version of the Handbook is expected to be finalized in 2019 and will be made available on the Resource section of the GLO.ACT website
For further information about the Handbook, please contact Heather KOMENDA at hkomenda@iom.int
For further information about GLO.ACT, please contract:
www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/glo-act/
Email: glo.act@un.org
Twitter: @glo_act
For further information about GLO.ACT's work with the DPU, please click here