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Two Agreements Pledging US $1.8 million to COMMIT Process

On 4 May 2006 an agreement was signed between the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and UNDP, in which the Norwegian Government pledged to contribute a total of 6,800,000 Kroner (about US $1 million) to combat human trafficking in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS). The agreement was signed by H.E. Merete Fjeld Brattestad, the Norwegian Ambassador to Thailand and Ms. Joana Merlin-Scholtes, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative.

On 8 May 2006 a second agreement was signed between SEARCH (a Canadian International Development Agency-supported regional project) and UNDP, in which SEARCH pledged to contribute a total of $900,000 Canadian dollars to combat human trafficking in the GMS. The agreement was signed by Mr. Michael Miner, Regional Director, SEARCH Project, and Ms. Joana Merlin-Scholtes, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative.

Both contributions will strengthen the GMS countries ability to combat human trafficking in all its forms and at all levels by supporting a sub-regional agreement for cooperation on human trafficking. The six GMS Governments (Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam) signed an agreement in October 2004 in Yangon, Myanmar. This blueprint of their joint initiative constitutes the Coordinated Mekong Ministerial Initiative against Trafficking (COMMIT), which actively works together to bring a stop to the rising trend of human trafficking in the region.

Ms. Merlin-Scholtes expressed appreciation for both contributions on behalf of the UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking in the GMS (UNIAP) which acts as Secretariat to the COMMIT, and highlighted that the contribution "will allow a much strengthened mechanism of collaboration on this highly sensitive and complex issue and will reach visible and tangible results. I am confident that these contributions will bring down the rising trend human trafficking, especially involving women and children in this region."

The contributions will fund COMMIT activities that aim to ensure the legal, social and community protection of victims of trafficking, strengthen the capacity of persons combating the crime of trafficking, and build a comprehensive response involving all relevant Ministries i.e. Foreign Affairs, Social Welfare, Labour, Immigration, Justice,

Women's Affairs etc. in all six GMS countries.

For more information please contact:

Dr. Susu Thatun, Programme Manager

UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (UNIAP) - COMMIT Secretariat

Bangkok, Thailand

Tel: +66 2 288 2310

Fax: +66 2 280 0268

Email: susu.thatun@un.or.th

www.no-trafficking.org