Date: Fri, 17 Oct 2014 18:58:53 +0200
AU convenes a Regional Conference to address Human Trafficking and Smuggling
in the the Horn of Africa
JOINT PRESS RELEASE
AU CONVENE A REGIONAL CONFERENCE TO ADDRESS HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND SMUGGLING
IN THE HORN OF AFRICA
17.10.2014
Khartoum, the Sudan, 13 October 2014: Experts and senior officials from the
African Union, UN Agencies and the Horn of African countries, partners
countries and organizations, gathered at a meeting opened today 13 October
2014, in the Police Club House, Khartoum, the Sudan, in preparation for the
African Union Regional Ministerial Conference on Human Trafficking and
Smuggling in the Horn of Africa.
Organized by the African Union (AU) in collaboration with the Government of
the Sudan, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the
International Organization for Migration (IOM). The Regional Ministerial
Conference aims to explore cooperation among the member states in the region
in addressing the challenges of trafficking in persons and smuggling of
migrants within and from the Horn of Africa, and to come up with a common
approach in addressing this issue.
The Minister of justice of the republic of the Sudan, Mr. Mohamed Bishara
Dosa in his opening remarks affirmed on the Sudan’s commitment of supporting
the collective efforts of the region and the world in combating this
phenomenon, and revealed that the Sudan has enacted a law to combat human
trafficking in march 2014, as well as many articles have been included in
the transitional constitution of the Sudan of 2005, aiming to protect
individuals from trafficking, in addition to amendment of asylum law of
2014.
The Minister highlighted the procedures that tackled by the government of
the Sudan in order to face the growing challenges of trafficking, such as
establishing of specialized prosecution offices to investigate and supervise
the investigation of the smuggling and trafficking crimes, also a national
committee for victims protection. He emphasized that in the past few years,
irregular migration to the Sudan turned into alarming phenomenon and became
more complicated when it has taken a new dangerous dimension, where
eventually turned from a merely individuals adventures of improving
migrants, and refugees conditions, or take Sudan as a crossing point to
Europe, or flee away from armed conflicts.
Mr. Bishara acknowledged that the current situation requires establishing a
regional center for counter trafficking and illegal migration in Sudan with
the support of the international community to serve the whole region.
In his opening remarks, Dr. Olawale Maiyegun, AUC Director of Social
Affairs, affirmed on the AU’s continued commitment towards facing up to the
challenges of trafficking in persons and to help its member states to
address this pressing issues.
The Director highlighted the frameworks that the AU adopted and initiated in
this regard, namely: Ouagadougou Action Plan, the Migration Policy Framework
for Africa, in 2006, and the African Union Commission Initiative Against
Trafficking (AU.COMMIT) in 2009. These Instruments provided the required
push for action and the number of countries having enacted anti-trafficking
legislations more than doubled between 2003 and 2010. Consequently, more and
more convictions of traffickers have been made possible and hopefully an
increasing number of victims rescued and protected.
However, the Director acknowledged that, despite these initiatives, human
trafficking and smuggling of migrants have remained a caustic challenge on
the continent and particularly in the Horn of Africa. “Many Member States in
the Sub-region are yet to ratify the Trafficking in Persons Protocol and or
fully implement it with national legislation in their respective domain” he
added, urging for greater cooperation in this regard.
Addressing the meeting, Mr. Ashraf Al Noor of the IOM Regional Office, said
that the responding to the trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants
requires strong close cooperation, information sharing and joint operations
from the international community. Migrants, refugees and asylum seekers need
to be afforded the utmost protection.
He emphasized on the importance of convening this Conference as all
stakeholders can consolidate the structures and processes already in place,
articulate their commitment to implementation, and recognize the range of
partners involved in operational and agency-led responses.
Speaking on behalf of the High Commissioner for Refugees, Mr. Antoìnio
Guterres, Ms. Ann Encontre, Deputy Director of the UNHCR Bureau for Africa,
highlighted the centrality of the international protection regime in any
initiatives aimed at addressing the phenomenon of human trafficking in the
Horn of Africa. She emphasized the need for strong partnerships among all
stakeholders under the AU initiative.
The Deputy Director called for more dialogue on the sharing of best
practices, greater mutual legal assistance, more joint cooperation across
borders, as well as national strategies and plan of action on human
trafficking. She reiterated on the UNHCR willing to assist all governments
at the conference with the difficult task of combating the trafficking and
smuggling of persons on the move whilst ensuring the rights and well-being
of persons in need of international protection i.e refugees, asylum seekers
and vulnerable populations.
At the two-day Experts meeting, discussion will focus on the state of play
of trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants in the Horn of Africa.
The Experts will formulate a clear way forward on the translation of various
national, regional and international instruments into measures and common
standards for preventing trafficking in persons, and smuggling of migrants,
prosecuting traffickers and smugglers, and providing assistance to victims
of trafficking and other vulnerable migrants including refugees ans asylum
seekers. They will put concrete deliverables for the political endorsement
of the Ministers.
The Regional Conference brings together delegations from the countries in
the Horn of Africa and other stakeholders including: the AU, Sudan , Egypt,
Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya, South Sudan, and Somalia, Italy, Libya,
Malta, Norway, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Switzerland, Regional Economic
Communities, League of Arabs States, Interpol, UNODC, EU and its Member
States.
The Expert and Senior official meeting will conclude with deliverables that
will be presented for endorsement to the Ministerial Conference on 16th
October.
<http://sa.au.int/en/sites/default/files/2014-10-13%20001%20060%20%283%29.jp
g>
http://sa.au.int/en/sites/default/files/imagecache/page/2014-10-13%20001%200
60%20%283%29.jpg
(image/jpeg attachment: image003.jpg)