Efforts to curb human trafficking under way

MUSCAT The Sultanate is playing an active role in the global fight against human trafficking and related crimes. This was mentioned in the annual report of the National Committee for Combating Human Trafficking (NCCHT). The report said that there is no doubt that the important geographical location of the Sultanate of Oman, overlooking seas and oceans, represents a vital bridge and a main gate for transit between East and West and North and South and makes it subject to the greediness of human traffickers and a destination for illegal migrations, this has therefore led to the Sultanate increasing its efforts to put an end to this phenomenon that continues to threatens the world. The numerous cases of human trafficking crimes worldwide include all forms of illegal exploitation of others, exploitation of children and women in wars, sit-down protests, demonstrations and begging, as well as minors marriage, slave labour, prostitution, forced labour, slavery, abuse, deprivation and removal of organs, according to the report. It said the rate and risks of human trafficking crimes were continuously increasing adversely effecting the integrity, security and dignity of human beings. The United Nations report on Drugs and Crimes had stated that there are about three million classified as victims of human trafficking and that this crime generates huge sums of money to the offenders estimated by the office at $35 billion annually. The report pointed out that NCCHT seeks to focus on building, enhancing and developing capacities and skills of the persons working in this field through participation in internal and external training programmes, forums and seminars, so as to familiarise themselves with the issues of human trafficking and to learn from the experience of other countries in the field of combating human trafficking crimes. The Sultanate has taken a number of steps in this direction. The Public Prosecution organised workshops on human trafficking concept, giving a series of lectures on the crimes to officers at the Royal Oman Police (ROP) and the Sultan’s Armed Forces. The ROP Officers Training Institute also held a number of introductory lectures on human trafficking crimes.  The topic of combating human trafficking was added to the training programme of the Higher Judicial Institute. On its foreign policy, the Sultanate took part in the Doha third forum for combating human trafficking. It takes part in workshops on capacity building for persons working in the field of human trafficking crimes and in training courses on human trafficking in cooperation with friendly states. Workshops were also held on capacity building of employees in the field of information system management and human trafficking reports, law enforcement staff and civil society working in the field of combating human trafficking. There was participation in a workshop on combating human trafficking crimes in cooperation with the Interpol. The report said that in the first quarter of 2014, NCCHT organised a number of meetings and visits for the committee to improve its performance. The committee has taken  a number of   initiatives.  The NCCHT visited the Family Protection Home (Dar Al Wifaq,) which receives and accommodates victims of human trafficking, on January 6, 2014. The joint meeting between NCCHT and Council of Judicial Administrative Affairs in the Sultanate was held on February 17, 2014. The joint visit of NCCHT and the National Human Rights Committee to the Central Prison was on February 18, 2014. The NCCHT plans to further boost its involvement with local authorities in achieving their joint goals. Among its most prominent plans are: To establish the headquarters of NCCHT and its executive office and to activate, manage and maintain its website in order to enable it to undertake its responsibilities according to the competencies provided for in the Anti-Trafficking Law. To organise a number of seminars to build and enhance capacities in the field of combating human trafficking. To implement a number of awareness and dissemination of knowledge programmes on the forms of human trafficking crimes and ways for combating such crimes. To review the Anti-Trafficking Law and the NCCHT’s Work Plan for combating human trafficking and to propose recommendations in this regard.  http://www.omantribune.com/index.php?page=news&id=167676&heading=Oman Oman News Agency