Astana – 17/03/2016 – On the 4-6 April, 2016, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) will host a Regional Thematic Training/Workshop on “Combating Trafficking in Persons – Protection of Victims of Human Trafficking”. The event is organized by the IOM Sub-regional Coordination Office for Central Asia, Astana, Kazakhstan in cooperation with the IOM Mission in Kyrgyzstan. The training will be held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

The regional training will bring together Government officials, community and religious leaders, diaspora associations and civil society from the five Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan). The regional thematic workshop is a capacity building activity in support to the Regional Consultative Process “Almaty Process” http://www.iom.int/almaty-process<…;. Sharing of good practices is envisaged by presenting and educating participants on practices and processes and procedures followed in another region of the world i.e. Latin America, under the Puebla Process http://www.iom.int/puebla-processThe purpose of the event is to provide participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to identify and refer victims of human trafficking in line with national legislation and international instruments.

Capacity building of government and non-government stakeholders has been an essential part of IOM counter-trafficking programming since 2000. IOM also has a supporting role in promoting dialogue between the states on combating trafficking in persons in Central Asia. The training is in line with 4 out of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nation’s 193 Member States during the Post-2015 Summit in September 2015.

The event is organized within the framework of the IOM program “Addressing Mixed Migration flows in Central Asia through capacity building” Phase II (2015-2016) funded by the Government of the United States (BPRM-PIM).