Dubai, United Arab Emirates - 5 April 2023 – On 1 April 2022, UNODC, under the framework of the Global Action against Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants - Bangladesh (GLO.ACT- Bangladesh), held a bilateral meeting at the margins of the "Fostering international cooperation against the smuggling of migrants" transregional meeting in Dubai in order to promote, more specifically, bilateral cooperation between Bangladesh and Nepal to combat the crimes of trafficking in persons (TIP) and smuggling of migrants (SOM).
Representatives from both countries gathered in an intimate setting to discuss actionable items in terms of strengthening channels of communication, information exchange, and investigative and judicial cooperation to combat TIP and SOM between the two countries as well as in the broader region bilaterally and with the support of GLO.ACT.
The routes between Bangladesh and Nepal include not only nationals from those countries, but a wide range of migrants from Southeast Asia as well, often serving as the main passageway to the Middle East and Europe. The route between Bangladesh and Nepal is a predominant point of passage along various migrant smuggling routes, which often mirrors many human trafficking routes as well.
Illicit labour recruiters and human smugglers facilitate the transport of people through the same route, and in many cases, end up exploiting these vulnerable people for greater profits. Children and women are particularly at risk along this passage and are often targeted for sex and labour trafficking.
By opening dialogue and establishing a stronger relationship between Bangladesh and Nepal on these issues, the countries open the door to greater cooperation on investigations and prosecutions, exchange of good practices, and can coordinate on various matters relating to TIP and SOM to better combat the crime.
With the support of GLO.ACT, this bilateral meeting brought together five criminal justice practitioners (one female and four male) from Bangladesh and Nepal to share knowledge and establish contacts for cooperation on specific measures to counter TIP and SOM. By providing a collaborative forum for the states, they had the opportunity to work closely and exchange information on state-specific issues, good practices, and areas for cooperation.
The meeting included discussions surrounding migrant smuggling but emphasized the importance of combating human trafficking, especially along the Bangladesh and Nepal border, where the mixed migration of vulnerable populations makes identifying cases and prosecuting them particularly difficult.
Through dynamic conversations, understanding of common interests, and the support of GLO.ACT, this bilateral meeting served as a bridge to promote productive lines of communication, exchange good practices, and work together to protect vulnerable populations and counter human trafficking and migrant smuggling in the region.
At the end of the meeting, both countries identified the following next steps to follow up on this cooperation:
As a follow-up to one of the action points identified during the Bangladesh-Nepal bilateral meeting, GLO.ACT-Bangladesh organized a quadrilateral meeting on 17 March 2023, in Brazil, which included Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. This meeting was held on the margins of the STARSOM multilateral meeting, which included these four countries and seven others, held from 14 to 16 March 2023.
The Global Action against Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants - Bangladesh (GLO.ACT - Bangladesh) is a 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), led by the Government of Bangladesh. GLO.ACT-Bangladesh builds on a global community of practice set in motion in GLO.ACT 2015-2019 in 13 partner countries across Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America.
Through targeted, innovative and demand-driven interventions, the GLO.ACT aims to support the Government of Bangladesh and civil society organizations to more effectively fight the crimes of human trafficking and migrant smuggling across the country. The project works on developing evidence-based information on trafficking and smuggling patterns and trends, legislative review and harmonization, capability development of criminal justice actors, and international cooperation. The project also provides direct assistance to victims of human trafficking and migrants in vulnerable situations 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.
For more information, please contact:
Mahdy Hassan, GLO.ACT National Programme Coordinator
GLO.ACT Bangladesh
Twitter: @glo_act
