Vienna, Austria 13 December 2018 – Between 3 to 5 December 2018, team members of the Global Action against Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants (GLO.ACT) participated in an expert group meeting (EGM) on national responses to Trafficking in Persons (TIP) held at the United Nations in Vienna, Austria.
The main purpose of the EGM was for experts to contribute to an internal research project undertaken by UNODC’s Crime Research Section (CRS). In addition, the meeting also contributed to the current work undertaken on the Model Law against TIP. Having some of GLO.ACT’s National Project Officers (NPO) as well as GLO.ACT HQ staff participate in the EGM enabled organizers to gather first hand information on responses to TIP from some of the project’s selected target countries. During the three-day meeting, organizers encouraged all participants to focus on the identification of good practises and lessons learnt when responding to TIP.
The EGM was a great opportunity for NPO from Colombia, Nepal and Pakistan to speak about the work undertaken under GLO.ACT with regards to protection, prevention, criminalization/law enforcement and cooperation/coordination. Ms. Shahida Gilani took the opportunity to speak about GLO.ACT’s nationwide awareness raising campaign on TIP and the Smuggling of Migrants (SOM) that has just been launched in Pakistan. This campaign includes the provision of a specialized helpline for TIP victims. She also took to opportunity to mention that Pakistan finally passed ” The Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act 2018″, something that will undoubtedly strengthen law enforcement in preventing and prosecuting TIP cases. Meanwhile, Mr. Gilberto Zuleta Ibarra, newly appointed NPO for Colombia, focused on the work undertaken with labour inspectors in Colombia. Working with labour inspectors and supporting their networks is an intervention that GLO.ACT has identified as a good practice in the fight against TIP. In fact, the project also engages with labour inspectors in Brazil and South Africa, thereby helping to build a global community of practice. Finally, Ms. Binija Dhital Goperma, NPO for Nepal, spoke about the development of a ground-breaking virtual reality investigation tool for TIP for organ removal and explained how the tool was trialled during a recent workshop in the country.
Following the EGM, all GLO.ACT team members participated, on 6 December 2018, in an internal GLO.ACT meeting that also focused on the exchange of good practices with regards to overall project implementation. The day included sessions on communication and visibility, key policy updates and how to ensure high quality outcome monitoring and reporting.
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 provides 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.
Source: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime