Vienna, Austria - Countering trafficking in persons and the smuggling of migrants demands a victim-centered approach, both in the rehabilitation of victims and in the development of effective policies to combat these crimes. Enhancing the role of women in criminal justice is a critical step toward providing victims with the necessary support, enabling them to feel heard, and empowering them to speak up and contribute to policy-making processes.
With this perspective, the Women’s Network Advisory Board convened on 10 December 2024 to review past achievements, plan future steps, and outline next year’s activities.
Operating under the EU-funded GLO.ACT (PROTECT) project, the Network brought together criminal justice professionals from Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and, for the first time, Tajikistan. The Advisory Board also includes members from other criminal justice networks, international organizations and NGO/CSOs.
The meeting was opened by Dr. Ibtisam Aziz, Chairperson of the Women's Network, and coordinated by Emmanuelle Kunigk, GLO.ACT Strategy and Stakeholder Engagement Expert. It began with the introduction of new Advisory Board members, including Dr. Alizoda Nigina, First Deputy Minister of Justice of the Republic of Tajikistan; Abdul Khalique Sheikh, Inspector General of Police in Balochistan; Umeda Sadritdinova, director and founder of Caravan of Hope, an NGO supporting victims of human trafficking in Tajikistan, Narin Othman Abdulrahman, a pivotal member of the DNA department at the criminal laboratory in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), where she has managed a wide range of forensic cases; and Judge Mhraban Ahmad Hassan, member of the Higher Judicial Institute,KRI, where she completed her training and was subsequently appointed as a judge. In this role, she continues to apply her extensive legal expertise and dedication to ensuring justice.
Following their introductions, Annkathrin Rest, GLO.ACT Policy Support Officer, and Eugenia Fabbri, GLO.ACT Intern, presented the results of the pre-advisory board survey disseminated prior to the meeting. The survey provided valuable insights, capturing members’ feedback on Network activities and identifying their interests, needs, and potential contributions.
Participants expressed a strong interest in exploring the role of digital platforms in addressing TIP/SOM and underscored the importance of intersectionality. They highlighted how factors such as gender discrimination, migration, and climate change exacerbate trafficking risks. These inputs will play a vital role in shaping next year’s activities. Further suggestions included contributions in areas such as gender-based violence, male survivor engagement, cultural perspectives, and border management.
Participants also shared positive feedback on past activities, with recommendations for enhancing interactivity and organizing survivor-led training sessions.
Mrs. Kunigk addressed key Advisory Board matters, including the adoption of the Roadmap to Action 2025. She emphasized the need to discuss how institutional environments impact recruitment and retention, citing examples of successful reforms. Additionally, she highlighted the importance of addressing child trafficking and trafficking for organ removal, both of which garnered significant interest during the meeting. Mrs. Kunigk also stated that a post-Advisory Board survey would be conducted in early 2025 to gather further feedback on a theme for the Network’s next General Meeting in 2025.
The meeting concluded with remarks from H.E. Manizha Bakhtari, Ambassador of Afghanistan to Austria, who warmly welcomed the new members, thanked Dr. Ibtisam for her ongoing service, and reaffirmed her commitment to the Network’s activities during these challenging times for Afghanistan.
Dr. Ibtisam expressed her gratitude to the board members and the Secretariat for their active participation. She looked forward to the next meeting in 2025 and extended her warm wishes for a happy New Year.
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The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is implementing the European Union-(EU) funded PROTECT initiative within the framework of GLO.ACT across Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, and Tajikistan. This initiative also addresses challenges in the broader Central Asia region, including the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, with a primary focus on enhancing the effectiveness of responses to trafficking in persons (TIP) and smuggling of migrants (SOM), particularly in relation to criminal justice. Meanwhile, the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) is responsible for implementing the PROTECT initiative in Afghanistan (specifically through virtual MRC Afghanistan), Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Their primary objectives include improving gender-sensitive and rights-based migration governance at the national level and establishing Migrant Resource Centres (MRCs).
The project is funded by the European Union.
For more information, please contact:
Martin Reeve (Mr.), Coordinator, GLO.ACT, Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Section, UNODC
Email: martin.reeve@un.org
Golda Myra ROMA (Ms.), Senior Project Manager, ICMPD Silk Routes Region – Budapest Process
Email: Golda.Roma@icmpd.org
