Islamabad , Pakistan 28 October 2019 - UNODC, under the framework of the Global Action against Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants ( GLO.ACT- Asia and Middle East ) organized a series of workshops on Trafficking in Persons (TIP) and the Smuggling of Migrants, with a particular focus on victim identification, protection and assistance. The main aim of the workshop series was to ensure that by having representatives from law enforcement , social services and civil society work together, a better understanding of each other's role in addressing TIP and SOM would be achieved. 24 people (3 female, 21 male) attended the workshop in Islamabad 20 March, 18 people (2 female, 16 male) on 26 to 27 March in Lahore and 18 people (4 female, 14 male) on 2 to 3 April in Peshawar. Another set of workshops, focusing on NGO's and civil society were held in Islamabad on 20 March and included 23 participants (3 female, 20 male) and another event in Lahore on 9 April which was attended by 22 participants (6 female and 16 male).
During the workshops , speakers elaborated on the two crimes , associated root causes and highlighted that 94% of victims of human trafficking of sexual exploitation are females, both adult women and girls . The presenters also spoke about the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime ( UNTOC ) and the Protocols thereto. To ensure a high level of interaction and learning, workshop participants then worked through several TIP and SOM case studies, focusing in particular on the aspects of protection and assistance. The fact that these workshop s were multidisciplinary in nature, with stakeholders representing law enforcement, social services as well as civil society, meant that greater understanding between key stakeholders was achieved. Working through case studies also enabled participants to discuss national and international laws , especially Pakistan's newly passed legislation on TIP and SOM, which has a strong focus on the rights of victims. In all three workshops, considerable time was spent on understanding the difference between TIP and SOM, and how countries around the world address irregular migration.
Post workshop questionnaires confirmed that participants felt that by being able to discuss issues and challenges with regards to identification, protection and assistance within a multidisciplinary setting was beneficial in terms fostering greater understanding and identifying solutions going forward. Upon conclusion of each workshop, participants received participation certificates.
The Global Action against Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants - Asia and the Middle East (GLO.ACT Asia and the Middle East) is a four-year (2018-2022), €12 million joint initiative by the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) being implemented in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in four countries: Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Islamic Republic of Iran, Republic of Iraq and Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The project builds on a global community of practice set in motion in GLO.ACT 2015-2019 and assists governmental authorities and civil society organizations in targeted, innovative and demand-driven interventions: sustaining effective strategy and policy development, legislative review and harmonization, capability development, and regional and trans-regional cooperation. The project also provides direct assistance to victims of human trafficking and vulnerable migrants through the strengthening of identification, referral, and protection mechanisms.
This project is funded by the European Union.
For more information, please contact:
Ms. Shahida Gillani, National Project Officer
Email: Shahida.gillani@un.org
For more information, please visit:
www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/glo-act/
Email: unodc-glo.act@un.org
Twitter: @ glo_act
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