Pretoria, South Africa - 4 April 2018 - UNODC, under the framework of GLO.ACT and in collaboration with the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, convened on 27 to 28 March 2018 a coordination workshop for the National Inter-Sectorial Committee on Trafficking in Persons, the Provincial Trafficking in Persons Task Teams and the Provincial Rapid Response Task Teams. At present, there is poor coordination amongst the various bodies involved in the response to trafficking in persons (TIP). This lack of coordination has, in the past, had a negative effect in terms of TIP identification, investigation and prosecution. The central aim of the workshop was therefore to exchange good practices on local coordination mechanisms for the identification and referral of TIP cases.
Additional objectives of the workshop were to:
During the opening ceremony of the workshop, Dr. Arno Schaefer, Minister Counsellor, Head of Cooperation, at the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of South Africa said that "law enforcement is the basis of all operational work to detect, investigate and prosecute this serious and organized crime. The need for improved sharing of intelligence knowledge, coordination and cooperation among you is vital. Any kind of work in silos must be avoided." He further said that "GLO.ACT represent our joint efforts to partner with countries globally and contribute not only at promoting international legal standards but also at supporting implementation of these standards".
Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Hon. John Jeffrey said that "South Africa's response to trafficking in persons is at a critical juncture, and therefore proper coordination and role definition of the national and provincial TIP structures will be critical to the successful implementation of the National Policy Framework and Implementation plan". He further said, "It is crucial to stress that the successful implementation of the TIP Act will require that all the law enforcement agencies work together in ensuring successful prosecutions. This requires clear understanding of the roles and responsibilities of each department and institution on how to administer the TIP Act."
Meanwhile, Ms. Zhuldyz Akisheva, UNODC Regional Representative, reaffirmed during her speech, "I would like to challenge participants at this workshop to look beyond coordination at the national level and take time to consider cooperation with other countries in the SADC region. The 2016 UN Global Report confirmed that trafficking in persons is primarily domestic and intra-regional in nature, meaning that trafficking in persons primarily happens either within the same border, or across borders of countries within the same region. This indeed is the case in the SADC region". She went on to say that " South Africa has actively participated in UNODC/SADC regional fora where important regional initiatives to facilitate cooperation have been established. Notably, a regional network on trafficking in persons known as SADC TIP Net was launched in Swaziland in June 2017. This network shares information on TIP trends and patterns, as well as cooperates in resolving transnational cases, working primarily through a regional database on trafficking in persons."
One of the key outcomes of the workshop was an agreement on the structure of the TORs for the various coordination structures and a way forward on their finalization and of the National Policy Framework. Workshop participants included the National Inter-Sectorial Committee for Trafficking in Persons (NICTIP), Provincial Trafficking in Persons Task Teams (PTT), Provincial Trafficking in Person Rapid Response Task Teams, Civil Society Organizations. Also taking part were our donor the European Union and project-implementing partner IOM.
The Global Action to Prevent and Address Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants (GLO.ACT) is a four-year (2015-2019), €11 million joint initiative by the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The project is being implemented in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). GLO.ACT aims to provide assistance to governmental authorities and civil society organizations across 13 strategically selected countries: Belarus, Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Kyrgyz Republic, Lao PDR, Mali, Morocco, Nepal, Niger, Pakistan, South Africa, Ukraine. GLO.ACT works with the 13 countries to plan and implement strategic national counter-trafficking and counter smuggling efforts through a prevention, protection, prosecution, and partnerships approach. It supports the development of more effective responses to trafficking and smuggling, including providing assistance to victims of trafficking and vulnerable migrants through the strengthening of identification, referral, and direct support mechanisms.
For more information, please contact:
Banele Kunene, National Project Officer
banele.kunene@un.org
www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/glo-act/
Email: glo.act@un.org
Twitter: @glo_act
