International Conference: Countering Trafficking in Persons - experience of Uzbekistan and foreign practices. Tashkent, Uzbekistan, 26 April 2016
An international conference on: 'Countering trafficking in persons: experience of Uzbekistan and foreign practices' was held by the International Organization for Migration in close collaboration with the Office of the Prosecutor General, and National Human Rights Centre of the Republic of Uzbekistan on April 26, 2016 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
The conference was attended by more than 100 participants from key government agencies and NGOs from Uzbekistan, as well as IOM experts and high level experts from Austria, Albania, Israel, Republic of Korea and others. Representatives from diplomatic missions, accredited in Uzbekistan, also attended the event.
IOM believes the event provided an excellent platform to exchange with good practices and contributed to enhancing the international dialogue on counter-trafficking.
The Uzbek experience was presented by the Office of the Prosecutor General, National Human Rights Centre, Ministry of Internal Affairs, National Rehabilitation Centre for Protecting and Assisting VOTs, local NGOs and others. Experts from foreign countries also presented their national practices.
Mr. Dejan Keserovic, IOM Regional Coordinator for Central Asia, greeted the conference participants and provided brief information on IOM counter-trafficking activities, based on four 'P's: prevention, prosecution, protections, and partnership. He underlined the importance of 'partnership' on countering human trafficking, since the crime has a trans-border element in most of the cases.
Mr. Akmal Saidov, Director of the National Human Rights Centre of the Republic of Uzbekistan welcomed the conference participants and emphasized: 'IOM turns sixty-five in 2016 and is an inter-governmental organization on migration issues on a global scale. As of today, Uzbekistan is not an IOM member, but it is not seen as a barrier to cooperate. Today's international conference may be seen as a clear proof for that. We have plans to engage in a number of joint activities on countering trafficking in persons with IOM...'.