Sulaimaniyah, Kurdistan Region Iraq (KRI), 20 February 2023 - From 11 to 14 December 2022, UNODC, as part of the Global Action against Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants (GLO.ACT- Asia and the Middle East), conducted its third and final police training in a three-part training series.
The primary focus of the training series was to teach techniques and methods for investigating cases of human trafficking and migrant smuggling. The event began with opening remarks and introductions by Martin Reeve and Omeed Salih, followed by discussions on international and national definitions of trafficking in persons (TIP) and smuggling of migrants (SOM), case studies, typologies of trafficking in Iraq, forms of control, victim cooperation, and interviewing methods for victims and suspects.
Furthermore, mock interviews were conducted, and an introduction to international cooperation and the role of Assayish in protecting human rights in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq was provided. Pre- and post-tests were carried out, and a training evaluation was conducted. The event concluded with the presentation of certificates and closing remarks.
Twenty police officers from the Ministry of Interior in Baghdad and KRI, Assayish from Sulaymaniyah, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (including 2 females and 18 males) participated in the training.
It is noteworthy that UNODC has conducted similar training sessions on the same topics for other groups of police officers from various provinces of Iraq, including KRI. The first training was held from 17 to 21 January 2022, and the second from 14 to 18 March 2022. Based on the results of the pre- and post-tests conducted during these three trainings, UNODC will select a smaller cohort to receive further specialized coaching and training.
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 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 up to five countries: Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (Afghanistan), Islamic Republic of Iran (I.R. of Iran), Republic of Iraq (Iraq), Islamic Republic of Pakistan (Pakistan). GLO.ACT-Bangladesh is a parallel initiative also financed by the EU and implemented with IOM.
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. The project is fully committed to mainstreaming Human Rights and Gender Equality considerations across all of its activities.
The project is funded by the European Union.
