25 November 2009
Saying its current form hindered prosecution, Sultan bin Jawed also maintained it was not in line with international agreements. He was addressing the concluding session of a forum on the problem of human trafficking.
“Law number 51 of 2007 is not in line with the United Nations Agreement on Organized Crime and Anti-Human Trafficking Protocol,” Jawed said. “So there is urgent need to amend the law.”
He said the law did not detail acts that constituted human trafficking and was inadequate in outlining the procedures to be followed when violation was suspected.
“There needs to be a comprehensive amendment of the federal law and a committee should be established to study the law,” Jawed said.
The National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking, set up under the chairmanship of Dr Anwar Gargash, has said: “The country will continue to acknowledge (its) shortcomings and demonstrate resolve by vigourously improving. We will continue to welcome direct discussion and collaboration.” The forum was a step in that direction.
Jawed said the law needed to be readjusted to better safeguard victims and offer protection to informers. He added it should also allow the Interior Ministry to exchange information with other countries.
“The Anti-Human Trafficking Protocol is based on preventing and fighting human trafficking, protecting victims, and international cooperation,” he said.
Other participants at the forum recommended increased coordination and communication between legal authorities, the police, the public prosecution and the courts.
Humaid bin Deemas, Acting Director-General of the Ministry of Labour, said the most difficult part in the fight against human trafficking was the legal aspect. “The labour issue is politicized and there should be a detailed law to determine action,” he added.
“The National Committee is dealing in a scientific, realistic and positive way with international reports,” he said and added the government did not ignore those reports.
Other participants, including Major General Khamis Mattar Al Mazina, Deputy Commander-in-chief of the Dubai Police, said international reports on the country’s track record in human rights had become politicised, now that UAE had risen in international profile.
Key recommendations at the forum’s opening on Monday included enhanced efforts to track down the sources of human trafficking and identifying smuggling routes.
It was also recommended that the Ministry of Interior start a hotline at UAE level to receive complaints from victims, classify them, and transfer them to the appropriate authority.
More training programmes for authorities dealing with trafficking and dedicated teams set up in the various departments fighting the problem were also recommended.
