Law Event
Urge to implement the SAARC Regional Convention on Trafficking
Shaila Shahid
The Delegates of Govern-ment, Non Government and International organizations from the SARRC countries underscore the need for proper implementation of the SAARC convention on Trafficking. The Regional Workshop entitled “Improving and Developing Strategies for the protection of Trafficked Survivors” organized by Bangladesh National Women lawyers Association (BNWLA) with the support of USAID through AED, Save the Children Sweden Denmark has brought the participants ranging from Non Government Organisation, International NGOs, UN Bodies, Civil Society and Human Rights activists together with representatives of Governments.
The Regional Workshop was organized on the eve of the SARRC Summit due in Dhaka this week with a view to discuss the feasibility of taking further steps to combat trafficking considering the human rights perspective like voluntary repatriation, safe migration, security, privacy and minimum institutional standards with a woman and child friendly atmosphere between source and receiving countries.
The two-day long workshop mainly focused on issues like: Review of the implementation of SAARC Convention; Victim and Witness Protection: Am Imperative Measure for an Inherent Right; To set Minimum Standard Care for the Survivors and Community based Reintegration; Difficulties of Identification and Repatriation of Trafficked Victims and Regional Migration Policy and other related issues.
The Inaugural session of the Workshop was chaired by Mr. Safrraj Hossain, Honourable Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, while Advocate Salma Ali, Executive Director of BNWLA gave her welcome speech. Among others the opening session was addressed by Mr. Shahidul Haques, regional Representative of IOM, Bangladesh; Mr. OLet Teisburg, Resident Representative of SAVE the Children Sweden Denmark; Ms. Nasrin Begum, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Mr. Ataul Karim, Former Secretary and President of Correction and Social Reclamation; Ms. Helha Klien, Chief of Party, SARI- Equity, Delhi.
Among the international participants from other SARRC countries Mr. Manabendra Mondol of India; Dr. Bharati Sharma of India Mr. Basanth Basant of Nepal and Ms. Lubna Tayeba of Pakistan made special remarks in the inauguration session.
The second day of the workshop discusses different issues regarding trafficking. The first working session was “To set minimum standard care for the survivors and community based integration”. The Second working session's topic was “Difficulties of Identification and Repatriation of trafficked ”, while the third session was on “Regional Migration Policy”. The workshop came out with a set of recommendations to be implemented at national and regional level.
The demands that rose by the participants, mainly:
- Recognize and addressing trafficking of women and children as a gross violation of Human rights.
- Taking urgent steps towards implementing of SAARC Regional Convention on Trafficking.
- Protection of survivors in the process of rescue, repatriation and recovery and integration.
- Taking necessary steps for the empowerment of survivors.
- Need for inter-ministerial and GO, NGO co-ordination.
- Introducing effective cross border mechanism, protocol, and infrastructure.
- Reducing the time and procedural delays keeping the rights of the survivors at the center.
- Psycho-Social treatment and social reclamation of survivors in the society.
- Need for a victim protection protocol.
- Need for concrete, authentic, and reliable data to work for preventing trafficking.
- Need to establish a regional taskforce of trafficking immediately.
- There should be a bi-lateral or multilateral agreement to prevent trafficking.
- Need to implement the Regional victim/ witness protection protocol to combat trafficking, commercial exploitation and sexual abuse of women and children in South Asia, prepared by Regional Action Forum.
Dr. Mizanur Rahman from IOM wrapped up the two daylong workshops. Supreme court advocate and advisor of BNWLA Ms. Zebunnesa Rahman chaired the concluding session. She reiterates BNWLA's commitment to make continuous effort for combating trafficking in person, especially women and children in the days to come. To ensure that there is an urgent need for combined effort and coordination among all the segments that are engaged in fighting against trafficking including GO, NGO and civil society co-operation.
A Press Conference has been organized after the two daylong workshops as part of the program to briefing the media about the outcome of the regional workshop, which was moderated by Advocate Salma Ali, Executive Director of BNWLA.
BNWLA thinks that the brainstorming and group works of the participants over these two days came up with valuable suggestions and recommendations paving the way for a better regional understanding on human trafficking.
The author is working for Law Desk, The Daily Star
