Cambodia and China Partnering to Protect Vulnerable Migrant Women

[Caitlin Richards]

Post by: UN-ACT China and Cambodia Offices. You can contact the offices via [email protected] (Cambodia) or [email protected] (China).

In November 2015, the Chinese Government hosted a Cambodian Government delegation in Jiangxi Province, the largest destination province for Cambodian marriage migrants in China. The regional UNDP Project UN Action for Cooperation Against Trafficking in Persons (UN-ACT) supported this initiative.

The aim was to discuss ways to protect vulnerable Cambodian women from being exploited by traffickers and to develop a draft agreement between the two countries. Both governments are part of the Coordinated Mekong Ministerial Initiative Against Trafficking (COMMIT Process), which together with four other countries in the Greater Mekong Sub-region have committed to a coordinated approach to counter human trafficking.

In the lead up to the meeting, UN-ACT consulted service providers and INGOs in both countries which had been involved in assisting and rescuing Cambodian women from forced marriages. Based on these consultations, a list of recommendations was developed and shared with the Cambodian Government. UN-ACT also provided technical support during the negotiations to ensure that the bilateral agreement on combating human trafficking was aligned with international standards.

As a result, the draft agreement includes text regarding: tailored preventive measures, effective prosecution cooperation and stronger protection and integration support for vulnerable migrant women. The two governments will meet again in May next year to finalize the agreement and develop an implementation plan of action.

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