Capacity Building Workshop on the Return, Repatriation and Reintegration of Trafficked
Persons in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam
Background and RationaleTrafficking in Persons (TIP) is one of the most pressing global issues. It can be considered a modern form of slavery - as the exploitation and victimization of human beings and as an inexcusable violation of fundamental human rights. Unfortunately, the worst forms of exploitation occur everywhere, including in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) countries where high levels of mobility exist - with populations crossing borders, and with many forms of trafficking taking place such as forced labor, sexual abuse, forced marriage and illegal adoption. Recent GMS development projects, such as the North-South and East-West corridors, have helped to link the region and have intensified the flows of goods, investment as well as people. As a result, countries in the GMS have become focal points of origin, transit and destination for trafficked persons.
The GMS governments realize there is a need to strengthen regional partnerships at different levels in order to improve policies, regulations, measures and tools, and to increase the capacity of human resources involved in tackling the human trafficking problem. Multi-layered and bilateral MOUs and agreements have been signed in order to improve existing coordination and collaboration mechanisms among member countries; laws and regulations in those countries have been formulated to protect, prevent and suppress all types of crimes. In addition, several approaches have been developed to effectively prevent trafficking or protect those being trafficked, such as case management processes and multi-disciplinary teams (MDTs). As an institution that plays a key role in building the capacity of human resources, particularly those engaged in trafficking work, RCSD, with support from TICA and JICA, has organized the ‘Capacity Building Workshop on the Return, Repatriation and Reintegration of Trafficked Persons in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam’, following on from a previous workshop held between 3 – 4 November 2009 in Chiang Mai entitled: ‘Third Country Training on Capacity Building for the Return, Repatriation and Reintegration of Trafficked Persons in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam’, during which the participants identified the need for a series of ‘train the trainer’ workshops focusing on case management - targeting those engaged in social work and related fields who case manage TIPs and deal with trafficking related actors such as lawyers, public health workers, immigration officers and NGO workers, with the aim of equiping them with the knowledge and techniques required to effectively manage the return, repatriation and reintegration of TIPs. The purpose of these follow-on workshops is to strengthen the cooperation, partnership and information exchange framework so as to reduce the number of trafficked persons re-entering the illicit cycle, and to hopefully eradicate the trafficking of persons in the GMS. |
Objectives of the Training(1) To equip participants with the knowledge, techniques, insights and information needed to efficiently carry out case management activities
(2) To ensure the participants are capable of passing on the experience gained to other case workers in their home country, and (3) To build and strengthen the network of social workers/practitioners, providing them with the expertise and commitment needed to combat trafficking in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. Organized by:
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Thailand International Development Cooperation Agency (TICA), Ministry of Foreign Affairs and The Regional Center for Social Science and Sustainable Development (RCSD), Faculty of Social Sciences, Chiang Mai University |