Anti-Trafficking Workshop Promises Better Efforts Against Human Trafficking in ASEAn

Singapore, 13 July 2011 - ASEAN can look forward to more focused and more specialised efforts against human trafficking, this after a three-day workshop hosted by Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs.
For the first time in the history of ASEAN, the event was attended by the United Nations Special Rapporteur for Trafficking in Persons, Dr Joy Ezeilo. Her participation reflects the continued interest of the United Nations towards ASEAN, and the grouping's responsive and preventive measures against Trafficking In Persons (TIP).
In addition, the U.S Ambassador-at-large for Monitoring and Countering TIP from the State Department also joined the workshop. Panelists include experts from the U.S., Sweden, Nigeria, Ghana, the region, and ASEAN.
"Trafficking in Persons is one of the most prevailing crimes in ASEAN-even greater than terrorism as is perceived by some. It threatens the livelihood of peoples of ASEAN, as well as prosperity and stability of the nations of our region," said Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for ASEAN Political Security Community, Mr Sayakane Sisouvong.
Quoting the estimates from the International Labour Organisation, he noted that there are at least 2.4 million trafficked persons at any given point in time. Yet, there are only a few thousand convictions of traffickers each year.
Turning to the region, Mr Sisouvong pointed out that "in ASEAN, where countries of origin, transit and destination co-exist, a collective will to effectively resolve the issue of trafficking in persons especially women and children was encapsulated in the ASEAN Declaration on Transnational Crime adopted as early as 1997."
Since then, ASEAN had made several landmark progresses on the issue. Furthermore, "as trafficking in persons is also perceived as violation of human rights, the ASEAN Inter-governmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), and the ASEAN Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC), are very keen to partake in the regional institutional framework," Mr Sisouvong said, adding, "their involvement, I believe, will be seen as prudent in the protection of victims as well as witness in the investigation and prosecution efforts against traffickers."