KATHMANDU, JULY 21
Chair of Law, Justice, and Human Rights Committee of the House of Representatives Krishna Bhakta Pokharel said ratification of Palermo Protocol has been a milestone in efforts to control human trafficking in Nepal.
Addressing an interaction organised by Forum for Women, Law and Development here today on the Palermo Protocol, Pokharel said as Nepal had also accepted various UPR recommendations on the issue of human trafficking and migrant workers, concerned authorities must implement the Protocol and the commitment made in the international forum.
In announcing new Australian funding to support Nepal's work to end trafficking and human slavery, Ambassador of Australia to Nepal Felicity Volk, said all countries had a duty to join hands in the fight against human trafficking.
"Human trafficking and slavery is barbaric, and it is evil, and it has no place in a civilised world," she said. "No government, no nation, can meet this challenge alone. Everybody has a responsibility. Every nation can take action. In all our countries, appropriate legislation must be passed and enforced, and justice systems must be strengthened. Victims must be cared for."
Deputy Country Representative of The Asia Foundation (Nepal) Preeti Thapa said as Nepal slowly emerged from the COVID-19 crisis, vulnerabilities to trafficking were on the rise; and so, anti-trafficking efforts must be sustained and for that Nepal needed to work towards building effective collaboration and coordination.
Under Secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs Basanta Bhattarai said owing to the status of implementation of the Palermo Protocol, the action plan of the MOHA provides for conducting various programmes related to anti-trafficking in coordination with other concerned authorities, allowing/providing foreign people who are trafficked to or via Nepal to stay in the country and to amend the Human Trafficking and Transportation (Control) Act as per the Protocol.
Executive Director of FWLD Advocate Sabin Shrestha said his organisation in collaboration with The Asia Foundation and Australian Aid was going to work on the implementation of the Palermo Protocol and strengthen domestic legislation.
He said Palermo protocol was a comprehensive international instrument with international definition of human trafficking and comprehensive provisions to ensure justice for victims of human trafficking.
A version of this article appears in the print on July 22, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
