Doha Human Trafficking Forum Calls for Establishment of Alliances to Combat the Phenomenon

Doha, January 17 (QNA) - The second Doha Forum on Combating Human Trafficking has underlined the significance of the role played by government bodies concerned with combating human trafficking in Arab countries in the implementation of the Arab Initiative for Building National Capacities to Combat Human Trafficking. This came in the final statement issued at the closing session of the two-day forum and read out by Director General of Qatar Foundation for Combating Human Trafficking Maryam Al-Malki. The forum was held on January 6-7 - 2012 under the title ' Launch of the Arab Initiative for Building National Capacities to Combat Human Trafficking' under the auspices of HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser. The participants called on government bodies concerned with human trafficking in Arab countries to participate effectively in the implementation of the Arab Initiative, to establish national alliances to combat human trafficking between government bodies, civil society organizations and Arab countries to support civil society organizations concerned with human trafficking to implement activities and programmes of the Arab Initiative for Building National Capacities to Combat Human Trafficking and called for coordination between government organs and civil society organizations to prepare and implement education programmes on g human trafficking comating and the organizing of joint conferences for the exchange of expertise. On the regional and international mechanisms for the implementation of the Arab Initiative, the participants called for the exertion of efforts at the Arab level through mechanisms and tools of the United Nations and the Arab League, as well as the support of the Arab Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking. They also underlined the need for the support the human trafficking combating coordination unit and the enhancement of its database as well as the support by the unit of human trafficking combating at the Arab League for the Arab Initiative activities and the encouragement of Arab countries to join the related international and regional agreements. The participants called for effective participation in the implementation of the Arab Initiative for Building National Capacities to Combat Human Trafficking and the building of regional alliances for combating human trafficking in Arab countries in conjunction with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Arab League and called for the preparation of bilateral agreements and memorandums of understanding between Arab countries to coordinate efforts related to combating human trafficking and the exchange of relevant information and expertise. The also called for the building of national capacities to combat human trafficking, to establish special programmes on regional and international mechanisms and tools to combat human trafficking and the preparation of an annual report on the state of human trafficking in the Arab world. On the role of media in the implementation of the Arab Initiative for Building National Capacities to Combat Human Trafficking, the statement called for the preparation of an Arab media strategy to combat human trafficking to support Arab efforts in this respect urging Arab media to cover combating efforts in the Arab world, to produce programmes, films and reports to shed light on the problem and to issue studies, researches and special magazines on the human trafficking combating. The two-day Second Doha Forum on Combating Human Trafficking and the Launch of the Arab Initiative for Building National Capacities to Combat Human Trafficking was held to underline the role of the State of Qatar in international cooperation to combat human trafficking through the adoption of many humanitarian initiatives culminated in the launch of the Arab Initiative. The overall objectives of the initiative is to support the project target countries in preventing and combating human trafficking by promoting the ratification and implementation of the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children (Trafficking in Persons Protocol), strengthening the institutional and human capacities of the criminal justice systems, improving mechanisms for the appropriate identification referral, support, and protection of trafficked victims and raising the awareness about the crime and its devastating consequences on indi9viduals and societies at large. Over 250 figures are taking part in the Forum. They represent: the Arab League, the GCC General Secretariat, the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Labor Organization (ILO), the International Migration Organization (IMO), chief executive officers of organization and bodies concerned with human trafficking in Arab countries, specialized experts, representatives of UN organizations concerned with human trafficking, head of civil society organizations active in care for and rehabilitation of human trafficking victims, the Arab Initiatives technical partners, Naif Arab University For Security Sciences, the Protection Project at the Johns Hopkins University (SAIS) and the United Nations Human Rights Training and Documentation Centre.(QNA)