Zinder , Niger - 15 May 2018 - The Global Action against Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants ( GLO.ACT), in collaboration with the National Agency to combat Trafficking in Persons (TIP) and the Smuggling of Migrants (SOM), organized from 2-5 April 2018 a 'training of trainers' workshop for regional agency staff, all of whom are magistrates, as well as for members of the commissions against SOM and TIP.
In terms of context, Niger is a country of origin, destination and, above all, transit for SOM and TIP. Over the past couple of years, the government of Niger has been working hard at trying to develop adequate responses to counter these crimes, yet migrant smuggling still remains one of its greatest challenges. This challenge poses a serious threat to human security and often has fatal consequences for those being smuggled or trafficked.
During the opening ceremony of the 'training of trainers' workshop in Zinder, UNODC explained that this workshop was one of the ways it directly supports the government's efforts to combat SOM and TIP and reiterated that one of the cornerstones in fighting these crimes was to build the capacity at local level and regional level.
Therefore, the aim of the workshop was on the one hand to strengthen the capacity of the local participants whilst also providing the agency and commission with a core group of trainers on SOM and TIP at both national and regional levels.
Addressing the participants, the representative of the Director General of the National Agency to combat TIP and SOM, Mr. Elhadji Hama Idi Sanousssi, confirmed that good collaboration between UNODC and his agency already existed which had made this training possible. He went on to say that, "I hope we can develop and intensify our efforts and hold more trainings that will benefit all stakeholders who are involved in the fight against these crimes." Meanwhile, during his speech, the Secretary General of the Zinder Region, Mr. Maman Harou, made reference to words previously expressed by the President of the Republic. He explained that the reasons motivating the government of Niger to lead in the fight against migrant smuggling are moral in nature. He said, "Niger simply cannot turn a blind eye to the human tragedy that unfolds on a daily basis in the Sahara; nor can it ignore the security situation the country faces as a result of migrants being smuggled to Libya."
The 'training of trainers' workshop included sessions on:
During the workshop, teaching methods and facilitation techniques were also taught and participants worked on real SOM and TIP cases studies.
At closing of the workshop, the President of the Regional Court of Zinder, Mr. Hama Haya, said, "Combatting migrant smuggling is of paramount importance to the government of Niger. I very much hope that this 'training of trainers" is only the beginning of a sustained effort to build the capacity of all judicial actors in the country. It is my sincere wish that this will lead to more prosecutions of smugglers and traffickers and that it will also improve how we protect smuggled migrants".
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. 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:
www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/glo-act/
Email: glo.act@un.org
Twitter: @glo_act