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Comoros Commits to Effectively Preventing, Suppressing and Punishing Trafficking in Persons

Moroni, Comoros, 30 July 2020 – Gathered within the Chamber of the Assembly of the Union of Comoros, Members of Parliament, together with Members of the Government of the Union of Comoros, joined the rest of the world in commemorating the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons.

As part of the UNODC regional project on Enhancing Effective and Victim-centered Criminal Justice Responses to Trafficking in Persons in Eastern Africa – funded by the US Department of State Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons – the commemoration was convened in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Regional Office for Eastern Africa (UNODC ROEA) and the Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Section at UNODC headquarters. To mitigate the spread of COVID-19, UNODC joined the event online.

A week prior to the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, Comoros – due to its firm commitment and proactive efforts to eradicate trafficking in persons (TIP) – became the 179th State Party to the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children. Delivering keynote remarks on behalf of His Excellency, Mr. Azali Assoumani, President of the Union of Comoros, His Excellency, Mr. Mohamed Daoudou, Minister of Interior, Decentralization and Territorial Administration, affirmed that the Government of Comoros will intensify actions aimed at preventing, suppressing and punishing TIP. This will include relaunching the Groupe de Travail, which is a unit that was established by the Government to counter TIP, as well as creating awareness of TIP among key partners, and revitalize cooperation with the UNODC. 

In addition, Mr. Mohamed Daoudou, presented ongoing initiatives to counter TIP, such as the drafting of comprehensive legislation on TIP and revising the Penal Code, which now includes a specific chapter "for offenses linked to transnational organized crime", as well as the recent accession to the Protocol.

Addressing the Assembly, Dr. Amado Philip de Andrés, UNODC’s Regional Representative for Eastern Africa, commended the Government of Comoros for their ongoing proactive efforts and emphasized the crucial need for executive and legislative powers to work together in the process of turning the Protocol into a comprehensive and effective national legislation. Dr. de Andrés expressed UNODC’s commitment and readiness to support the process through concrete means such as the provision of resource material, legal and technical advice, and capacity building workshops for criminal justice practitioners.

Members of Parliament, including Honorable Mrs. Hayda Nourdine Sidi and Honorable Mr. Mohamed Ahamada Baco, Vice-Presidents of the Assembly of the Union of Comoros, also affirmed their support by promising to uphold legal international commitment. Mr. Mohamed Ahamada Baco, representing the President of the Assembly, assured UNODC that the Parliament will pay special attention to the cause of effectively preventing, suppressing and punishing TIP in its next ordinary session, in October 2020.

The renewed commitments, together with the process of turning the Protocol into comprehensive and effective national legislation, to allow criminal justice practitioners to effectively prosecute criminals and protect victims of trafficking – will be part of a global promotion of human rights, and one step closer towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Moving forward, the UNODC will work closely with the Government of Comoros.

 

For more information, please contact: 

Mr. Johan Kruger – johan.kruger@un.org

Head of Transnational Organized Crime, Illicit Trafficking and Terrorism Programmes,

UNODC Regional Office for Eastern Africa