United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

The UNODC Regional Office in East Africa (ROEA)

UNODC Supporting Victims of Trafficking in Persons in Ethiopia 

Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), 20 August 2021 - UNODC commemorated the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons (TIP) in Ethiopia by providing essential food supplies and COVID-19 protective equipment to two shelter homes – Agar Society and Organization for Prevention Rehabilitation and Integration of Female Street Children – that support victims of Trafficking in Persons (TIP) in Ethiopia.

This support is part of the UNODC project on Enhancing Effective and Victim-Centred Criminal Justice Responses to Trafficking in Persons in Ethiopia, funded by the U.S. Department of State Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, UNODC is supporting Member States with effectively countering TIP.

To counter TIP in Ethiopia, UNODC programme activities include supporting specialised investigation units of the Federal Police Commission and its Criminal Investigation Bureau, but also the Federal Office of the Attorney General and its specialized prosecution units and Witness Protection Directorate, including by ensuring protection and support for victims of TIP and vulnerable migrants, especially women and children.

Recent UNODC programme activities focusing on the protection of witnesses of TIP in Ethiopia, UNODC supporting the Government of Ethiopia to review its legislation and policies on Witness Protection and Whistleblowers Proclamation.

In the spirit of this year’s World Day theme – “Victims’ Voices Must Lead the Way” – UNODC handed over the much needed supplies to the respective shelters at their premises. Head of National Partnership Coalition on Migration Secretariat within the Federal Office of the Attorney General (FAGO), Mrs. Fatiya Seid, hosted the handover events. She thanked UNODC for their support and reiterated the importance of supporting victims of TIP. In turn, Mr. Conor McGuire, representative of the U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia, emphasized the importance of supporting victims of TIP as a key pillar in combating TIP.

The two shelters both have an existing Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Attorney General’s office to protect and support victims of TIP.

All UNODC activities in Ethiopia adhere to World Health Organization and the Federal Government of Ethiopia’s guidelines for health and safety measures in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

See UNODC’s Strategic Vision for Africa 2030 here.

For more information, please contact: 

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

Head of Transnational Organized Crime, Illicit Trafficking and Terrorism Programmes - UNODC ROEA

UNODC Programme Office in Ethiopia