Int'l Conference On Combating Trafficking In Persons Concluded

A two-day international conference on combating trafficking in persons was concluded here on Tuesday with a resolve to curb the scourge in Pakistan with the collective efforts of all the stakeholders

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Feb, 2023 ) :A two-day international conference on combating trafficking in persons was concluded here on Tuesday with a resolve to curb the scourge in Pakistan with the collective efforts of all the stakeholders.

The conference was organized by Sustainable Social Development Organization (SSDO), in collaboration with the US Embassy and Pakistan-US Alumni Network (PUAN), said a news release.

It was aimed at reducing trafficking in persons and increasing direct referrals of victims for services or rehabilitation and advocating for the prevention and prosecution of trafficking in persons.

The conference was initiated with speeches from notable figures of different organizations and attended by government, private and development sector institutions from both Pakistan and the United States.

Participants included senior officials from Federal and provincial government departments, parliamentarians, senior police and FIA representatives, ambassadors, national and international NGOs, and media.

US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome reminded that trafficking in persons was a centuries-old problem that required everyone to play a role and create innovative approaches to combat perpetrators who remained a threat due to the continuous development of new trafficking techniques.

His message was further addressed by the chief guest, Deputy Speaker of Sindh Provincial Assembly Shehla Raza by adding that human trafficking was a disaster of its own kind which severely impacted women and children in particular.

SSDO Executive Director Syed Kausar Abbas emphasized the necessity of judiciary training to sensitize towards and mainstream the issue of trafficking in persons.

President of PUAN Sahibzada Aamir Khalil suggested that victim-centric legislation would achieve the welfare and support needed by survivors of trafficking of persons.

Panel discussions followed the conference, where TIP experts from Pakistan and the US highlighted the issues of trafficking, its relevancy to Pakistan, deliberated on existing legal framework, implementation status and policy gaps to combat human trafficking and stressed the international best practices to combat trafficking in persons in Pakistan.