Brigadier Ahmed Mohammed Bin Nukhairah, Director of the Human Rights Department, Head of Committee to Combat Human Trafficking at the Ministry of Interior, inaugurated the Regional Training Workshop on anti-human trafficking, this morning at the Holiday Inn Hotel in Abu Dhabi. The workshop, which will span over three days, is organized by the Human Rights Department at the Ministry of Interior, in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), to hone the skills of law enforcement entities personnel to combat human trafficking.
The opening ceremony was attended by Judge Hatem Ali, representative of UNODC for GCC Countries; Mariam Al Maliki, General Manager of the Qatar Foundation to Combat Human Trafficking, alongside a number of Ministry of Interior officers from the various police GHQs, and representatives from anti-human trafficking entities in the country.
In his welcome address, Brigadier Ahmed Mohammed Bin Nukhairah conveyed the police leadership’s good wishes for all entities participating in the workshop, wishing them success to promote human dignity and ensure a safer society. Moreover, he emphasized the importance of cooperation between all relevant parties to unify efforts, exchange expertise and implement the best practices in human-trafficking investigations, according to modern and innovative methods.
He added: “the UAE has always paid special attention to preserve human dignity, on the grounds that humans are the most important pillar of society. It has asserted this attention through the Constitution and the relevant legislation, by qualifying law enforcement personnel to investigate human trafficking crimes, and sources of information to evaluate the risks of such investigations”.
Moreover, Brigadier Bin Nukhairah stated that the country’s leadership has established shelters for human trafficking victims, to provide them with health, humanitarian and social care, according to its longstanding cultural and moral heritage.
“Human trafficking in all its forms represents a challenge for law enforcement agencies. Human trafficking gangs are diligently devising new methods, targeting women and children in particular,” he continued. He asserted the need to qualify a national cadre to investigate human trafficking crimes, and combat these methods professionally.
He emphasized the importance of finding the appropriate mechanism to establish an international team to investigate and combat human trafficking crimes; noting that real success can only be achieved through concerted efforts.
For his part, Judge Hatem Ali, representative of UNODC for GCC Countries gave a speech expressing his thanks and appreciation for the Ministry of Interior’s officials, praising their continuous support and cooperation with the UNODC. He added that this workshop comes in line with the partnership between both parties to combat drugs and crimes.
Judge Ali indicated that the workshop tackles the best means to implement international standards with respect to human trafficking investigations. He also hoped that the workshop will contribute to develop the capacities of law enforcement entities investigating human trafficking crimes.
Sessions
The workshop began with a lecture by David Newton, expert on anti-human trafficking at UNODC and Illias Chatzis, Anti-Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Unit (AHTMSU) of UNODC. The lecture identified human trafficking and its indicators; psychological reactions of human trafficking victims and control mechanisms, as well as examination of victims.
For her part, General Manager of the Qatar Foundation to Combat Human Trafficking Mariam Al Maliki, shed light on the general framework of the Arab initiative to build national capacities, to combat human trafficking in the Arab countries.
Khalid Hussein Fakhro, f