Astana, November 2, 2022 - The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, as well as the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Republic of Kazakhstan, with the support of the IOM, held a forum on the adoption of a separate law on combating human trafficking in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Countering human trafficking and related crimes remains one of the primary tasks for all countries of the world. In 2021, 50 million people were in modern slavery, of which 28 million people were in a situation of forced labor, and 22 million were trapped in forced marriage. More than half (52 percent) of all cases of forced labor and a quarter of all forced marriages occur in upper-middle-income or high-income countries. Half of all victims are bought for the purpose of sexual exploitation, 38 percent – for forced labor, 6 percent are forced to engage in criminal activity and about 1 percent – begging. Less than 1 percent are used for organ trafficking, forced marriages and other purposes.

The adoption of a special basic legislative act that comprehensively and systematically regulates all aspects of combating human trafficking will allow regulating the entire range of legal relations in this area, paying special attention to the protection and rehabilitation of victims.

It is important to note the principle of implementing a victim-oriented approach to ensure the rule of law, taking into account the needs and interests in the criminal justice system and providing assistance and protection in order to increase the level of trust and cooperation on the part of victims of human trafficking in relation to law enforcement and judicial authorities.

IOM remains deeply committed to providing comprehensive and technical support to the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan on all issues related to the elaboration and implementation of this legislation.