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United Nations Inter-Agency Project on Trafficking Regional Project Manager Visits China

Mr Matthew Friedman, the Regional Project Manager of a UN Inter-Agency Project in the Greater Mekong Sub-Region visited China from the 4-9 March 2007 to assist the UNIAP and COMMIT in their work on combating trafficking.

During his visit Mr. Friedman had meetings with key leaders in the National Working Committee for Women and Children (NWCCW), the Ministry of Public Security (MPS), and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during which he introduced the UNIAP stratagem for phase III and discussed IMM2 and SOM5 events with the Chinese leadership. The Chinese leaders all reiterated the government’s commitment to the resolution of the human trafficking issue.

IMM2 and SOM5 will be held in China this year, the Ministry of Public Security will host the meeting with the support of the NWCCW, the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The specific details of IMM2 and SOM5 will be arranged by the MPS.

The MPS regards trafficking as one of its priorities and as a result of cooperation with the NWCCW and UNIAP it has uncovered 2,500 cases of trafficking in women and children in 2006, this is a decrease of 11% in comparison with 2005.

The NWCCW has been cooperating with the UNIAP on trafficking from its inception and it will continue to support the project and the COMMIT process. As a “big sister” to other Mekong countries China will set an example, this will involve mentoring and coaching other nations.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is currently drafting a plan of action to combat human trafficking. Both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the UNIAP believe that cooperation with other countries is key to the resolution of this problem. It was agreed that this issue should not be politicized as this would only serve to make it more complex. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has offered any assistance necessary to the UNIAP.

A task force meeting was held on the first day of Mr. Friedman’s visit, this involved representatives of the Criminal Legislation Department of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, the Criminal Investigation Department fo the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the International Department of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, and NWCCW. The progress which had been made so far was discussed as well as the future direction the task force would take in combatting of trafficking.

The meetings were very fruitful and all parties believe that the IMM2 and SOM5 in China will be very successful with the UNIAP’s support.

Source: UNIAP China