CPLP Ministers of Justice Conference joins the Blue Heart Campaign against Trafficking in Persons

Brasília, 29 June, 2017 - Countries belonging to the Community of Portuguese Language Speaking Countries (CPLP) met on Thursday (29) at the Ministry of Justice and Public Security, in Brasilia, at its 15th Conference of Ministers of Justice. These conferences are the forum in which deepen the multilateral cooperation among the member countries, evaluate goals and define the line of action in the next steps. 

During the event, Brazil assumed the presidency of the Conference of Ministers of Justice upon receiving the post from East Timor, the last country to occupy it. The minister of that country, Ivo Valente, made an assessment of his management, spoke of the rapprochement and satisfaction of having achieved the goals set at the last conference, attributing success to the joint effort and work.

Present at the meeting, the representative of the UNODC Liaison and Partnership Office in Brazil, Rafael Franzini, participated in the plenary session and gave a speech on the adhesion of the Conference of Ministers of Justice of Portuguese Language Speaking Countries (CMJPLOP) to the Blue Heart Campaign Against Trafficking in Persons. 

The Blue Heart campaign, in addition to being aligned with the 'Lisbon Declaration on Common Measures to Prevent and Combat Trafficking in Human Beings', can become an important mechanism to support it and the implementation of the Action Plan adopted at the XIII Conference of Ministers of Justice of Portuguese Speaking Countries in the City of Lisbon on 30 May 2013; and establishing common measures to prevent and combat trafficking in human beings between the member states of the Commonwealth of the Portuguese Language (CPLP), "said Franzini.

Earlier, Franzini attended a luncheon at the Itamaraty Palace, which was attended by Ambassadors, Ministers of Portuguese Language Speaking Countries and local authorities.

During the conference, CPLP representatives pledged to take policy measures to raise public awareness about trafficking in persons and to boost the Blue Heart Campaign.

The Conference of the Ministers of Justice of the Portuguese Speaking Countries 

The Conference of Ministers of Justice of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CMJPLOP) was institutionalized on September 11, 1992, at the Conference II, held in Sao Tome and Principe, through the adoption of the Cooperation Agreement establishing the Rules of CMJPLOP, after completion of the first conference in Lisbon in June 1991. 

Currently, there are eight participating countries: Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal, Sao Tome and Principe and East Timor (since 2005).

The Blue Heart Campaign

The UNODC Blue Heart campaign was launched in Brazil in May 2013 in partnership with the Ministry of Justice and Public Security. Participated in the Campaign Centres for Confronting Trafficking in State and District Persons, Humanized Migrant Attendants (PAAHM), and State Committees to Combat Trafficking in Persons. With the motto "Freedom cannot be bought. Dignity is not for sale. Denounce the Trafficking in Persons,"  the Brazilian version of the Blue Heart campaign has the singer Ivete Sangalo as National Ambassador of Good Will for Preventing and Combating Trafficking in Persons.

This is the first globally binding instrument with an agreed definition of trafficking in persons. The intention behind this definition is to facilitate convergence in national approaches to the establishment of internal criminal offenses to support efficient international cooperation in the prevention, investigation, detection and prosecution of trafficking in persons.

Another important objective of the protocol is to protect and assist the victims of trafficking in persons with full respect for human rights and the dignity of persons. To this end, the Protocol includes legislative provisions and measures of protection, prevention and cooperation.

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