KATHMANDU: Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa said that Nepal has taken the issues related to human trafficking and trans-national crimes very seriously.

Delivering a statement at the 7th Regional Ministerial International Conference on 'People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime' held in Bali of Indonesia today, Minister Thapa said the government has taken this problem seriously.

He said human smuggling and trafficking have emerged as two big impediments for sustainable human development, rule of law and citizen's security.

Home Minister expressed the belief that the conference would facilitate information exchange and collaboration among the law enforcement bodies to curb trans-national crimes related to human smuggling and trafficking.

He also expressed hope that the conference would be the guideline for welfare of migrant workers in different countries.

Home Ministers and high government officers of different countries have been participating in the one-day ministerial conference today. Since 2002, the conference is being organised in the name of the Bali Process.

Forty-five member countries including Nepal, China, India and Australia as well as UN agencies including IOM, UNHCR and UNODC are members in the conference.