Workshop on “Enhancing a Victim-Centered Approach: Identification, Assistance and Protection of Trafficking Victims in the Asia Pacific Region”

02-05 April 2019 (CIFAL-Jeju, South Korea)

Background

According to the Palermo Protocol 2000, Trafficking in Persons involves the act of recruiting, transporting, transferring, harbouring or receiving a person through the use of force, coercion or other means, for the purpose of exploitation. Virtually every country, as origin, transit or destination, in the world is affected by human trafficking which ended up in sexual exploitation, forced labour, servitude, and removal of organs. Every year, thousands of men, women and children fall into the hands of traffickers, in their home countries and abroad.

IOM found that the global number of persons trafficked per year ranges from 600,000 to 4 millions. US Trafficking in Persons (TiP) report 2018 mentioned about the identification of 100,409 victims globally, out of them 23,906 are subject to Forced Labour. Even this staggering figure is largely considered a conservative estimate given the clandestine nature of the crime, and the strict methodology applied. According to the recent UNODC’s  Global Report on Trafficking in Persons , while human trafficking is truly a global phenomenon, it most commonly occurs intra-regionally, with each region and sub-region experiencing unique and geographically-characterized patterns for origins and destinations. It is also found that the Asia-Pacific region records by far the highest rates of human trafficking in the world.

Since 2002, the Bali Process has effectively raised regional awareness of the consequences of people smuggling, trafficking in persons and related transnational crimes, and has developed and implemented strategies and practical cooperation in response. This voluntary forum includes 45 participating countries, as well as IOM, UNHCR, UNODC and ILO. The core objectives of the Bali Process are to combat people smuggling and trafficking in persons by developing more effective cooperation and information sharing between Bali Process members and other relevant organizations; to raise public awareness and educate vulnerable populations about the crime of people smuggling and trafficking in persons; to build capacity across Member States and facilitate the sharing and implementation of best practices; and to advance the Bali Process Regional Cooperation Framework (RCF) as a means of adopting a comprehensive and holistic approach towards combating people smuggling and trafficking in persons.

The Regional Support Office of the Bali Process (RSO) was established in 2012 to operationalize the RCF, in order to reduce irregular migration in the Asia-Pacific region. Drawing on the engagement created among the Bali Process Member States on issues related to counter trafficking, the RSO supports practical cooperation on refugee protection and international migration, including human trafficking and smuggling. Its activities are supported by the knowledge, expertise, and experience of Member States and international organisations, including IOM, UNODC, and the UNHCR. Partnership of RSO with CIFAL is instrutrumental in promoting the concept of Victim Centered Approach (VCA) in identification and protection of the victims of human trafficking  in the Asia-Pacific region.  The workshop is a part of this broader approach.

CIFAL, in affiliation with UNITAR, has become a knowledge hub and platform for promoting city-to-city cooperation. Through this approach, CIFAL directs its capacity building efforts towards local actors. CIFAL Jeju / Jeju International Training Center (JITC) focuses on the thematic area of social inclusion, especially with regard to human trafficking issues which impact the capability of human beings to drive their own lives and decide their own futures. Cities in the Asia-Pacific region can substantially improve the situation by focusing and sharing experiences on the prevention of trafficking, prosecution of traffickers and the protection and reintegration of victims of trafficking. Therefore, this training aims at strengthening the role of concerned authorities and actors in the Asia-Pacific region to better identify and protect victims of trafficking.

Event objectives

The capacity building training workshop will:

·           Demonstrate the linkages between human security and the Vctim-Centered Approach to addressing trafficking in persons, especially in the Asia-Pacific region;

·           Exchange of good practices in identifying, assisting, and protecting victims of trafficking;

·           Explain complexicity of the prosecution of the Human Trafficking cases

·           Analyze how various anti-trafficking legal instruments, strategies, policies and frameworks can be adapted for implementation

·           Highlight improvement of the inter-agency/multi-stakeholders coordination process; and

·           Promote information sharing and exchange within the countries and across the boders to fight against trafficking

Learning objectives

By the end of the training, participants will be able to:

Understand the basic concepts related to trafficking in persons and the difference between human trafficking and human smuggling, forced labour and other related exploitation;

·        Comprehend the current dynamics or trend of human trafficking across the global and in the Asia-Pacific region.

·        Have increased level of awareness on of human security and human trafficking, especially relating to women, children, and refuges in the region;

·        Understand the nexus between human trafficking and forced labour;

·        Have better understanding about the role of Regonal Consultative Processes in combatig human trafficking.

·        Identify key challenges in addressing human trafficking across the region;

·        Identify best practices and lessons learned to address human trafficking and, as well as policy measures to be undertaken for enhancing human security at different levels;

·        Apply presented tools and methods in their own work places;

·        Apply UNITAR-developed CityShare methodology to rate and compare each other’s anti- trafficking policies, and make specific action plans for local implementation and follow-up on lessons learned (via city-to-city cooperation, awareness raising activities, inter-governmental coordination, and other practical implementation examples); and

·        Build professional networks, exchange information and knowledge among the participants.

Content and structure

The workshop contents are composed of the following:

·      Module 1: Introducing the concepts and current trends in trafficking in persons

·      Module 2: Victims of Trafficking and refugees

·      Module 3: Global approach to addressing trafficking in persons

·      Module 4: Providing assistance to refugees and victims of trafficking

·      Module 5: Prosecution

·      Module 6: Protection

·      Module 7: Prevention

·      Module 8: Regional Cooperation

·      Module 9: Cityshare Methodology

Methodology

The training will be comprised of:

·        lectures and presentations by experts

·        practical exercises and group discussion

·        UNITAR CityShare Methodology

·        action plan presentation

·        study visit

Target audience

This training is open to government officials and relevant personnel from NGOs, Civil Societies and institutions of the selected countries who directly work with the victims of trafficking in the Asia Pacific region.

Event detail

Requirements

Selected applicants are required to:

·          submit necessary documents on time, i.e., registration form etc.

·          complete and submit pre-training readings and assignments, i.e. case studies etc.

·          actively participate in the training program

·          be fluent in written and spoken English

*Additionally, Participants are required to bring a personal laptop for UNITAR CityShare Methodology session.

Application and deadline

Send the following 7 documents to cifaljeju.jitc.1@gmail.com by  18 February  2019 (Monday)    

※   Late application will NOT be accepted.

Note

·          Application without required documents will NOT be considered.

·          Participation is subject to approval of the application by UNITAR CIFAL Jeju/JITC.

·          Only Selected applicants will be notified individually.

Assistance with travel expenses

·          UNITAR CIFAL Jeju/JITC provides a LIMITED financial assistance with the airfare to Jeju-do, Republic of Korea.

·          Local expenses (venue-to-venue transportation, accommodation, and meals) during the workshop will be covered by UNITAR CIFAL Jeju/JITC.

·          All other expenses (local transportation in their country, visa fee, etc) are the responsibility of the participants.