Kathmandu, August 29

The Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration today issued a circular to all local levels, directing them to implement the recommendations of the National Human Rights Commission regarding control and prevention of human trafficking.

The rights body, through the 2019 report on ‘Trafficking in Persons’, had made a number of recommendations to the federal government, provincial governments and local levels to reinforce the fight against the heinous crime of human trafficking. The report had also showed poor implementation status of recommendations made by the NHRC in relation to control of human trafficking, rescue and assistance of victims and their access to justice.

“All local levels are requested to implement the recommendations made by the NHRC through its 2019 report prepared and released on the basis of study and monitoring,” the circular read. Last week, the NHRC had also written to the MoFAGA to make local levels implement the two-point recommendation.

As per the recommendations, it requires each local level to carry out monitoring of population vulnerable to trafficking on a regular basis. Similarly, they will have to set up and operate a victim support mechanism and a separate fund. In addition, the local levels have been told to formulate and implement social security schemes to ensure that they are not lured by traffickers.

The NHRC, which established the Office of the Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons in 2002, has been regularly publishing the national report on Trafficking in Persons since 2005. The NHRC report shows the trafficking situation of Nepal and subtly analyses the efforts of the government and non-governmental organisations besides identifying the gaps and challenges and suggesting the way forward. The 2019 report has described the situation, risks, tendencies and dimensions of trafficking through human rights perspective. It also analyses both strengths and weakness of the concerned authorities in combating trafficking.

It is estimated that around 35,000 persons, including 15,000 women and 5,00 girls were victims of human trafficking in 2018-19. The government has yet to effectively address the exploitation and violence associated with human trafficking. The crime continues to thrive due to lack of coordination among non-governmental organisations fighting against trafficking and government’s inability to crack down on trafficking rackets that operate under the guise of foreign employment and studies abroad.