Counter-Trafficking Action Being Taken in Cambodia

Who is working against human trafficking in Cambodia?

Counter-trafficking interventions to combat human trafficking are currently being carried out by:

The Royal Government of Cambodia

The Leading Task Force to Fight Human Trafficking, Smuggling, Exploitation and Sexual Exploitation of Women and Children led by Deputy Prime Minister Sar Kheng; and The National Task Force to Implement Agreements, Memoranda of Understanding between the Royal Government of Cambodia and Relevant Countries on the Elimination of Trafficking in Persons and Assisting Victims of Trafficking led by Madam You Ay, Secretary of State for the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, and involved relevant ministries

UN Agencies

IOM, UNICEF, ILO/IPEC, UNFPA, UNIFEM, UNDP, UNODC, UNIAP

Over 100 non-governmental organizations

 

What is being done in Cambodia?

Prevention

Activities are implemented across the country, mainly in source areas. Prevention efforts include awareness-raising campaigns on human trafficking and safe migration, education and capacity building, creation of child protection networks, poverty alleviation and disaster response projects through micro-credit schemes. Some of the key prevention efforts being undertaken in Cambodia are: developing legal labour recruitment channels to Thailand, Malaysia and Korea to ensure the protection of migrant workers abroad; child safe tourism campaign to prevent trafficking in the tourism industry; and community mobilisation and poverty alleviation campaign in 5 key border provinces.

Protection

Measures involve activities taking place to provide post-harm assistance to trafficked victims including identification, rescue, repatriation, family tracing, family assessment, reintegration, short/medium/long-term shelter, medical, legal, psychosocial, education and vocational education assistance. Some key protection efforts being undertaken in Cambodia are: official repatriation and reception of trafficking victims (see below for numbers); family tracing and assessment and ongoing case monitoring of reintegration; and the development of National Standards on Victim Protection. There are many victim assistance agencies in Cambodia providing shelter and other forms of post-harm assistance.

Prosecution

Prosecution involves activities relating to the criminal justice process, including investigations, apprehensions, arrests, prosecutions and convictions. Some key prosecution efforts being undertaken in Cambodia are: the establishment and ongoing operation of a specialised Anti-Human Trafficking and Juvenile Protection Police Department; the development of a focused Suppression Campaign to combat human trafficking in Cambodia; the implementation of the new Law on the Suppression of Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation and development of explanatory notes and guidelines; and the development of a cadre of specialist judges and prosecutors that have a strong understanding of the issues and sensitivities involved in cases of human trafficking.

Policy

Policy involves activities relating to the development of a comprehensive and consistent policy framework to effectively address trafficking in Cambodia. Cambodia is currently in the process of finalising and implementing its Second National Plan of Action on Trafficking in Persons and Sexual Exploitation (NPA TIPSE 2006-2010). This is in line with its commitment under the Coordinated Mekong Ministerial Initiative against Trafficking (COMMIT), which brings together the six Mekong countries in the fight against human trafficking.

 

What else needs to be done in Cambodia?

Exploitative sites (fishing boats, factories, homes) should be given more attention to give a signal effect to the sector. To date, the focus has been largely on the community and the victims.

The ‘demand’ side (law enforcement, policing, awareness raising etc.) of human trafficking should be strengthened without neglecting current work to curb ‘supply’ (awareness, education, job creation etc.).

Research on human trafficking in Cambodia needs to be strengthened, by working more collaboratively with the various partners in the counter-trafficking sector both in the country and in the GMS region in order to better evaluate current interventions, and to identify and target emerging issues particularly related to a continued rise in migratory flows.

Interventions to combat human trafficking directly support the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), by addressing factors that contribute to an individual’s vulnerability to trafficking such as poverty (MDG 1), lack of basic education (MDG 2), and lack of gender equality (MDG 3). Furthermore, interventions can also work to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS (MDG 6).