UAE backs UN action plan against human trafficking

ABU DHABI — The UAE has voiced its full support for the UN Global Plan of Action to combat human trafficking.

By (Wam)

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Published: Thu 11 Nov 2010, 9:10 PM

Last updated: Mon 6 Apr 2015, 3:57 PM

Dr Anwar Mohammed Gargash, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, and Chairman of the UAE National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking (NCCHT), said the UAE commended the main features of the international initiative which calls for setting up of a UN voluntary trust fund for victims of trafficking, especially women and children.

The United Nations launched on August 31, 2010 a global action plan to combat human trafficking, urging governments worldwide to take co-coordinated and consistent measures to try to defeat the scourge.

The action plan — which focuses on preventing trafficking, prosecuting offenders and protecting victims — also stresses the importance of obtaining more research, data and analysis about the problem.

Gargash made his remarks during the 23rd meeting of the NCCHT which reviewed the UN plan and a report on the UAE’s participation in the ministerial meeting of the Group of Friends United against Human Trafficking, a coalition of 20 countries, which was held on the sideline of the sideline of the 65th session of the UN General Assembly in New York last September.

Gargash said that the UAE had approved the Group’s plan of action and acceded to its.

Founded in February 2010 as an informal, voluntary and open-ended association of UN Member States, the Group of Friends seeks to help reinvigorate and consolidate the global fight against trafficking in persons.

At the heart of this initiative is to promote the elaboration of a global plan of action against human trafficking, with engagement in this process of such critical stakeholders as civil society, mass media and private businesses.

The Group of Friends seeks to enhance the role of the United Nations in fighting human trafficking and to promote better coordination and cohesiveness of anti-trafficking efforts, including through elaboration and implementation of a global plan of action against trafficking in persons.

The Committee also looked at the recommendations issued by the regional workshop on regional workshop on “Enhancing Law Enforcement and Judicial Co-operation among Source, Transit and Destination Countries in Central Asia to Fight Human Trafficking” which was hosted by Abu Dhabi last October.

The minister said the committee pays proper attention to international reports on human trafficking crimes. A report by the UN Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography during a visit to the country in October. Gargash termed the report findings as positive.

The committee also discussed a study on introduction of proposed amendments to the Federal Law no 51 of 2006 for combating trafficking in persons. It gave instructions for initiating procedural measures for that purpose.

The committee discussed a number of topics in its agenda including conclusion of memoranda of understanding with Belarus, Thailand and Azerbaijan on cooperation in combating the crime.

The minister appreciated the substantial efforts made by the committee and its stakeholders including law enforcement agencies and shelters during the current year to curb the crime.

The UAE, he affirmed, is committed to meeting its obligations and reaching its targets in the fight against the human trafficking crime as one of the active members in the international community in this regards.

Steps for compiling the annual report on human trafficking in the UAE were also discussed during the meeting.


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