Vietnam strides toward a domestic human trafficking law

Hanoi, April 2010 - Vietnam's draft domestic human trafficking law was discussed this week by representatives from agencies working in counter-trafficking in Vietnam, including UNIAP, World Vision, ARTIP, the Asia Foundation, Oxfam, Save the Children and the United States Embassy.

Vietnam does not currently have a specific human trafficking law, and trafficking crimes are prosecuted under the Vietnam Penal Code 2009. In introducing a domestic human trafficking law, Vietnam will be joining its COMMIT partners governments in Cambodia, Myanmar and Thailand, as well as giving effect to the provisions of the United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children.
 
Drafting of the new trafficking law began in 2007 and is expected to be completed by July 2010. The drafting process is being coordinated by a Vietnamese Government working group, led by the Ministry of Justice and comprised of representatives from the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs, the Vietnam Women's Union and the Ministry of Public Security.  The working group aims to build the 'Four P framework' - prevention, prosecution, protection and policy - into the new law, to ensure that it effectively prevents and suppresses the serious internal and transnational crime of trafficking.
 
Next month, the working group will travel to Thailand to study the Thai Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act B.E. 2551 / 2008.  As part of their visit, the working group will meet with Thai Government and law enforcement officials, UN agencies and civil society groups. This study tour is being facilitated by UNIAP.
 
Following on from the study tour, in June 2010, Vietnam will host a regional human trafficking workshop in Hanoi, inviting legal experts from around the region for a discussion on the successes and challenges in drafting and implementing an effective anti-trafficking law.
 
The public will have the opportunity to comment on the draft law towards the middle of 2010. At the close of the review period, the draft will be circulated amongst Vietnamese Government stakeholders for a last round of revisions.
 
The final draft law will be presented to the Vietnamese Government in July 2010, and then submitted to the Vietnam National Assembly for review during November. It is expected that the law will be passed during the National Assembly Session in May 2011.