25 July 2024 – Rabat, Morocco
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the European Union (EU), and the National Committee in charge of Coordinating the Measures to Prevent and Combat Trafficking in Persons (CNCLT) celebrate the World Day against Trafficking in Persons by launching the annual edition of the Blue Heart Campaign during an outreach event organized on the 25th of July 2024 at the Ministry of Justice and the launch of a national awareness raising campaign with the Presence of the Mr. Abdellatif Ouahbi, the Minister of Justice, Mrs. Patricia Llombart Cussac, Ambassador of the EU in Morocco, Mrs. Nathalie Fustier, the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations System in Morocco, and Mrs. Siham Al Figuigui, Head of UNODC Programme Office in Morocco.
Following this year’s theme of the World Day against Trafficking, this edition of the Blue Heart Campaign in Morocco revolves around the protection of children and teenagers from various forms of exploitation, including those facilitated through cyberspace, social networks, and gaming platforms. The campaign focuses on making “the protection of children from cyber exploitation a priority – leaving no child behind while combating trafficking in persons."
The awareness-raising event will feature the launch of a national campaign targeting children, teenagers, and parents through the screening of a series of animation films and the distribution of comic books prepared by Moroccan artists and writers focusing on the different forms of trafficking in children, with an emphasis on the forms that take place online or within the cyberspace. The cartoons and comics will also highlight the vulnerabilities of victims who are exploited and will present the available referral, protection, and prevention mechanisms that can be used to counter this crime.
The cartoons and comics are planned to be broadcast on national television and social media to help inform the public about the main indicators and forms of Trafficking in Persons, including the cyber-enabled ones targeting children and teenagers. This aims to also promote the adoption of the appropriate responses by the whole of society, including parents and tutors.
In addition, art-based educational awareness toolkits for children and youth will be distributed to the relevant institutions to raise awareness about the dangers of this crime, its forms, and the existing referral and protection mechanisms.
The center of the city of Rabat will see the display of paintings and posters organized by the National Committee and UNODC as part of the Blue Heart Campaign.
In her opening remarks, Mrs. Nathalie Fustier, Resident Coordinator of the United Nations System in Morocco noted, “In its latest report, UNODC is concerned about the evolution of Trafficking in Persons, which is taking new forms by exploiting the new digital technologies like social media for instance. Women and children are the most affected by this shift: the number of children victims has tripled during the past 15 years.”
In her opening remarks, Mrs Patricia Llombart Cussac, Ambassador of the European Union in Morocco declared, “on the basis of their common values, Morocco and the European Union maintain a strategic, close, and privileged partnership. The fight against Trafficking in Persons is aligned with one of the founding principles of this partnership for shared prosperity: Human Rights. Within this framework, Morocco and the European Union have developed for years a strong cooperation to combat Trafficking in Persons, with the support and through inter alia, international organizations like the UNODC, or European agencies like Europol and Frontex, but also with civil society. Approximately 10 days ago, a revised directive of the European Union to combat Trafficking in Persons entered into force. This directive adopts a victim-centered approach, with special attention for children and the most vulnerable. This directive highlights the cyber Criminal dimension.”
Trafficking in Persons is a serious crime and a human rights violation. This effort is part of the partnership between UNODC, the European Union, and the Government of Morocco as part of the implementation of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC), which was ratified by the Kingdom of Morocco in September 2002, and in the implementation of the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, which Morocco acceded to in April 2011.
At the national level, Law 27-14 was enacted in August 2016 and the National Commission for the Coordination of Measures to Prevent and Combat Trafficking in Persons was created in May 2019 to provide an appropriate legislative and institutional framework to allow the relevant institutions and the civil society to participate in combating this crime by formulating an effective comprehensive and cross-sectoral response to this crime.
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