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Cambodia ACTs Holds a Consultation Meeting on the Guideline for the Protection of the Rights of Trafficked Children

On September 27, 2006, Cambodia Anti-Child Trafficking (Cambodia ACTs) in Collaboration with Cambodian National Council for Children (CNCC) conducted a Consultation Meeting on the Guideline for the Protection of the Rights of Trafficked Children at Ministry of Social Affairs, Veteran and Youth Rehabilitation (MOSAVY).

The meeting was presided over by H.E Nhim Thoth, representative of minister of MOSAVY and the secretary of states of MOSAVY and also the chairman of the working group to develop the draft guideline with the participation of representatives from relevant NGOs/IOs and government agencies.

The meeting was funded by Asia ACTs with the main purpose of finding good new points to fulfill in the draft guideline and to make the guidelines be a national instrument for the protection of the rights of trafficked children in more effective way.

The guideline was first introduced to Cambodia by Cambodia Anti-Child Trafficking (Cambodia ACTs) who is one of the partners among the seven countries of Asia ACTs. The first meeting to develop a draft regional guideline was first held in September 2004 in Bohol, Philippines with the participation of all members of Asia ACTs from the seven countries. This document known to partners as Bohol Document, become the basis for the development of the country level guidelines developed in Indonesia (April, 2005), Philippines (August 2005), Thailand (October, 2005) and Vietnam (March, 2006). The same document also became a reference document for the regional guidelines developed in Bangkok, Thailand, in which there were seven Cambodia delegates from both government and NGOs led by H.E San Arun, Under-secretary of States of Ministry of Women’s Affairs, it is known as Bangkok document.

The Bangkok document became the basis for the development of the country level guideline for the protection of the rights of trafficked children in Cambodia. The guideline sets out proposed principles and guidelines to promote the human rights of trafficked children in Southeast Asia which have been developed on the basis of relevant international human rights instruments including the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Optional Protocol to the CRC on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution, Child Pornography, the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Recommended Guidelines on Human Rights and Human Trafficking, the Guidelines for Protection of the Rights of Children Victims of Trafficking in Southeastern Europe.

The document not only reflects the experiences of service providers and caregivers both from government and NGOs in handling cases of trafficked children, but likewise reflects the sentiments and needs of the grassroots whom they work with.

During the meeting, there was also a presentation on the draft guideline developed by the 20 members of working group who are from 10 NGOs/IOs and government agencies led by H.E Nhim Thoth, secretary of states of MOSAVY as the chairman and H.E Chan Sotheavy, under-secretary of States of Ministry of Justice as the vice-chairman, presented by Mr. Chea Pyden, Country Focal Point of Cambodia ACTs. Then the participants were divided into groups for the discussion and feedback on the draft guideline. After the meeting, the second draft guideline will be developed by the working group in order submit to the council of ministers before submitting to the Prime Minister for approval as the national guideline.

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Consultation Meeting on the Guideline for the Protection of the Rights of Trafficked Children