The 8th Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM-8) of the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) took place in Hà Nội today to discuss ways to combat human trafficking. The meeting saw the participation of 150 delegates from China, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar and Việt Nam.
The 8th Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM-8) of the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) took place in Hà Nội today to discuss ways to combat human trafficking. The meeting saw the participation of 150 delegates from China, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar and Việt Nam.
The delegates reviewed cooperation on implementing the GMS Action Plan on preventing and fighting against human trafficking in the 2nd phase (2008-2010) and talked about the completion of the 3rd phase (2012-2013).
They also touched upon issues to strengthen dialogues with other forums about anti-human trafficking and the sustainability of the Coordinated Mekong Ministerial Initiative against Trafficking (COMMIT) after 2013.
The COMMIT was initiated by the six governments in late 2003, with the focus on building up a regional agreement on preventing and combating human trafficking.
The delegates proposed the six governments to sign a joint communiqué on anti-human trafficking cooperation at the SOM-8.
At the meeting, Lieutenant General Phạm Quý Ngọ, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Public Security, Vice Chairman of the National Steering Committee on Preventing and Fighting against Human Trafficking, said the COMMIT is a unique and dynamic process in Southeast Asia.
He said this high-ranking policy dialogue forum comes up with multi-sectoral approaches, and focuses only on preventing and combating human trafficking and helping regional nations basically solve human trafficking issues.
Over the past seven years, Việt Nam has coordinated with international organizations and non-governmental organizations to implementing over 200 coordination activities relating to anti-human trafficking. Its top legislature has also approved the Anti-Human Trafficking Law while the Government has promulgated national programs on preventing and combating human trafficking in different periods.
Việt Nam has closely cooperated with Cambodia, China, Laos, Thailand and non-COMMIT members to prevent and fight human trafficking criminals, and rescue victims of trafficking and repatriate them, the Vietnamese Deputy Minister said.
The 3rd Inter-Ministerial Meeting (IMM-3) of the GMS members will be held on February 16 in Hà Nội, focusing on anti-human trafficking issues.
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