IOM Signs MOU with Government of Ethiopia to Enhance National Capacities for Prevention of Trafficking in Persons
IOM and the Government of Ethiopia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to implement a two-year project intended to enhance national capacities and cooperation for the prevention of Trafficking in Persons (TIP) and to ensure the protection of victims and prosecution of traffickers in Ethiopia.
The MoU was signed by Ethiopia's Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Abdulfatah Abdullahi, representing the Government of Ethiopia, and IOM Ethiopia Chief of Mission and Representative to the AU/ECA/IGAD, Josiah Ogina, representing IOM.
Signing the MoU, the minister said that it was the commitment of the government to engage more actively in effective migration management and combatting human trafficking in Ethiopia. He stressed the need to strengthen community-based awareness raising activities throughout the country.
Mr. Ogina emphasized that human mobility needs to be managed in an orderly and safe manner. The IOM Chief of Mission also reaffirmed IOM's readiness to support the Government of Ethiopia in combating human trafficking through a variety of capacity building and community-based interventions.
The IOM project will focus on improving the capacity of the national Anti-Human Trafficking Committee to spearhead and coordinate nation-wide efforts against human trafficking.
It will also strengthen the national legislative and criminal justice capacities to effectively prosecute traffickers and adjudicate TIP cases. Moreover, the project will work to improve identification, referral, protection and assistance services to victims of trafficking.
The two-year project has been funded by a US$ 500,000 grant from the United States Department of State, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (J/TIP).
For more information please contact Demissew Bizuwerk at IOM Ethiopia, Tel +251 116 611 117 (ext. 455) or +251 911 652 102, Email: bdemissew@iom.int.