Training Mongolian officials on trafficking and smuggling

Source: UNGIFT.HUB

http://www.ungift.org/knowledgehub/stories/July2013/Training-mongolian-officials-on-trafficking-and-smuggling.html

( IOM ) -  With rising numbers of Mongolian labour migrants moving overseas, there has been an increase in human trafficking, particularly of young Mongolian women for the purpose of sexual exploitation. As a destination country, foreign victims are most commonly trafficked to Mongolia for forced labour, particularly in the construction and mining sectors.

  

  

To help mitigate these trends IOM is hosting a three-day workshop in Ulan Bator next week for 35 Mongolian government officials, to strengthen their response to document fraud, migrant smuggling, and human trafficking.

The workshop, for officials from the Mongolian Immigration Agency (MIA) and the General Authority on Border Protection (GABP), will address the challenge of managing irregular migration, smuggling and human trafficking in Mongolia.

"This specialised training will greatly contribute to the Mongolian Government's counter-trafficking efforts by providing nominated MIA and GABP trainers with the opportunity to understand the fundamental issues," said Vice Director of Immigration Mongolia, M. Munkhbat.

"This workshop will provide Mongolian frontline immigration officers and border guards with the necessary skills to better detect fraudulent travel documents and to more effectively interview and identify victims of trafficking," said Officer in Charge of IOM Mongolia, Kieran Gorman-Best. "We are delighted to have trainers from IOM as well as the governments of Australia, Canada and China working with us on this."

This activity is part of IOM's 'Strengthening the Management of Labour Migration and Counter-Trafficking in Mongolia' project funded by its international Development Fund. In the past year, IOM, in partnership with the Mongolian Gender Equality Centre, have provided direct assistance to over 60 victims of trafficking.

OSCE Special Representative, at Alliance conference in Vienna, says discrimination cause of trafficking

OSCE Special Representative, at Alliance conference in Vienna, says discrimination cause of trafficking

( OSCE) -  The OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Maria Grazia Giammarinaro, at an OSCE-hosted conference, outlined today how discrimination serves as an underlying cause of human trafficking and called for new strategies to fight these injustices.

"Discrimination on any grounds makes people vulnerable to trafficking and offers easy justification for exploitation," Giammarinaro said. "We witness every day the production of xenophobic stereotypes about migrant workers, hampering the perception that they could be victims of a serious crime. Social inclusion is the ultimate goal of our struggle, both in countries of origin and destination."

She said she hoped the Conference would contribute to a vision of anti-trafficking action as part of the human rights discourse with new advocacy strategies that would include lessons from the historical abolitionist movement.

OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier underlined the link between human rights and trafficking in the OSCE context.

"We cannot afford to underestimate the gravity of discrimination and exploitation as cross-cutting components of trafficking, seriously undermining the core values of the OSCE," he said. "Together we will find better ways to address modern-day slavery through empowerment, non-discrimination and human rights protection, through vigorous implementation of the OSCE commitments."

The OSCE-initiated 12th Alliance against Trafficking in Persons Conference brings together more than 300 senior government officials, national anti-trafficking co-ordinators and rapporteurs, representatives from international and non-governmental organizations, law enforcement agencies and trade unions, as well as employers' organizations and migrants' rights groups. Special guests include Kenneth Morris, president of the Frederick Douglass Family Foundation and UN.GIFT Special Advisor and child trafficking survivor Rani Hong. The director of the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, Janez Lenarčič, the High Commissioner on National Minorities, Knut Vollebaek, as well as European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights Director Morten Kjaerum are also among the high-level speakers at the conference.

Digicel partners with UN.GIFT

Tackling one of the biggest global issues by promoting awareness and providing direct victim support

(Digicel- Kingston, Jamaica)-- Digicel announced its partnership with the United Nations' Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UN.GIFT). The partnership will see the company piloting a project promoting awareness raising on human trafficking and providing direct victim support by establishing service hotlines .

The pilot project - which will begin in Haiti and Papua New Guinea - will provide victim empowerment through the provision of free hotlines and donation lines as well as raising awareness among customers and staff concerning human trafficking.

Digicel Group CEO, Colm Delves, said; "At Digicel, we go to great lengths to move our communities forward in a positive way across all our markets. As such, we are pleased to be working with the UN on this pilot programme in the fight against human trafficking by extending our services to benefit those who may be in trouble, especially in countries such as Haiti and Papua New Guinea, two countries known for their difficult conditions.

"We have seen how technology can benefit society, but using it to help people free themselves - and indeed save lives - is a service we are very proud to be associated with."

UN.GIFT Public Information Officer, Siria Gastelum, said; "We would like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to Digicel for getting on board and piloting this programme in Haiti and Papua New Guinea. While employers and business have an opportunity to play a pivotal role in the fight against human trafficking, technology can play a unique role. For many victims of human trafficking deprived of other means of contact with the outside world, their mobile telephone service provider - in cases where the provider can be contacted for free - may be their only potential source of help."

The core aim of UN.GIFT will be to educate Digicel staff in areas of human trafficking to raise their awareness to the issue as well as the methods and techniques needed to adapt anti-human trafficking measures. In addition, Digicel will provide toll-free hotlines to strengthen direct victim support as well as open donation hotlines for victims of human trafficking in Haiti and Papua New Guinea.

Digicel is the largest mobile provider in Haiti and Papua New Guinea and in both countries makes every effort to move communities forward in a positive way. While Digicel proudly sponsors a number of sports, cultural and social activities, through the Digicel Foundations it has also contributed heavily in education, the reduction of crime and the improvement of health services in both countries.

Source: www.ungift.org

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