[UN-ACT]

And here is the Saphan Siang Special video clip: http://cmw25.org/international-labour-organization/ Enjoy and share widely!

[UN-ACT]

Dear Jeevan,

Thanks for your important comment! Strategic coordination and cooperation, both within governments but also amongst other key stakeholders, often remains challenging in our region as well, and it is in fact partly for this reason that UN-ACT was established earlier this year.

However, there are some promising examples to be reported as well. The COMMIT Process, or the Coordinated Mekong Ministerial Initiative against Trafficking, is an attempt by the six Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) countries (Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand Vietnam) to jointly counter human trafficking in the GMS. In each country, there are so-called national COMMIT Taskforces bringing together all governmental and state institutions working on human trafficking for a coordinated approach to their commitments in the COMMIT framework. Representatives of these also meet at the regional level to report on progress made and make decisions about the direction of COMMIT. UN-ACT serves the Process as its Secretariat. It’s not without challenges, but a promising example of institutionalized cooperation between governments and increasingly also other stakeholders.

In addition, UN-ACT itself provides for a coordinated approach to combatting human trafficking, as the name suggests: UN Action for Cooperation against Trafficking in Persons. At country level, our offices are actively involved in human trafficking and related working groups, which depending on the country context may involve both governmental and non-governmental stakeholders. At the regional level, we have an active regional network amongst partners working in the GMS and/or Southeast Asia to update on and coordinate our activities. UN-ACT, as the Secretariat to the COMMIT Process, also supports international organizations, UN agencies and civil society stakeholders in playing a more active role in COMMIT. Going forward, current plans include joint COMMIT work planning exercises, with all contributions captured that support the COMMIT Process in meeting its objectives as set out at the regional level.

We hope you find this of interest. Thanks again for engaging so actively here and on our Facebook page. We of course also still remember you from your time with our Lao Office under the predecessor project, UNIAP. It’s great to see that you have continued your anti-trafficking efforts in India, and that you bring stakeholders in South and Southeast Asia together.

All the best from UN-ACT!

[Author]

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