Doha, May 18 (QNA) - In cooperation with the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC), the National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking (NCCHT) organized Sunday the first basic training workshop on combating human trafficking from a Human Rights Approach: Prevention, Protection, Rehabilitation, Under the theme: "Our Humanity is One: Dignity and Justice for All."

The workshop was aimed at law enforcement personnel from the police force, members of the public prosecution and judges, relevant employees of the Ministry of Labour, doctors, social researchers, and psychologists.

The training workshop, which will continue until May 22, will be attended by representatives from the Ministry of Social Development and Family, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, the NHRC, the Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS), Qatar Charity, the Doha International Family Institute (DIFI) at Qatar Foundation, the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA), the Qatar Media Corporation, the National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA), and the Humanitarian Care House.

The training workshop aims to build national capacities in combating human trafficking and dealing with its victims in a human rights-based approach.

In this context, HE Secretary General of the NHRC Sultan bin Hassan Al Jamali said that this workshop comes amid a global reality rife with challenges and risks that exacerbate and complicate the crime of human trafficking. He noted that the growing vulnerabilities resulting from rising global poverty rates, armed conflicts, climate change, and irregular migration have led to more victims of human trafficking.

His Excellency added that despite Qatar's strategic location, its enormous potential to attract hundreds of thousands of workers, and its tourism attractions, it is one of the safest and most effective countries in protecting against all forms of human trafficking. This is due to the development of legislation and public policies, and the administrative and institutional measures taken by the State, including preventive measures such as establishing visa centers in countries with a high labor density.

His Excellency emphasized the NHRC's commitment to monitoring and following up to address any emerging challenges in this regard, as well as contributing insights into legislation, public policies, and measures to combat human trafficking. He also emphasized its role in raising awareness and educating the public about the dangers of human trafficking. 

NCCHT Deputy Chair, Sara Abdullah Al Saadi said that holding this workshop comes in line with the State of Qatar's orientation towards strengthening the human rights protection system and continuing its pioneering efforts in combating the crime of human trafficking. She added that human trafficking has become one of the most serious contemporary human rights violations, posing a direct threat to human dignity and infringing upon the most basic human rights guaranteed to every individual.

Al Saadi said that what sets this training workshop apart is that it is being held within the framework of implementing the National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking (2024-2026), and is in line with NHRC's Strategic Plan 2024-2030, representing a genuine opportunity to reinforce the concepts of protection, prevention, and rehabilitation in accordance with a human rights-based approach.

She pointed out that NCCHT and NHRC's constructive cooperation reflects the complementarity between criminal justice and dignity and right approaches, stemming from the conviction that combating this complex phenomenon effectively cannot happen without having trained national capacities, renewing institutional and societal awareness, and forging strategic partnerships at all levels.

For her part, Director of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Training and Documentation Centre for South-West Asia and the Arab Region, Dr. Abeer Al Khraisha said that human trafficking is a violation of human dignity and is a phenomenon that knows no border nor nationality, particularly affecting marginalized and vulnerable groups and one that exploits people's needs.

Dr. Khraisha said that human trafficking is on the rise, despite having a comprehensive international legal framework in place, including relevant international human rights conventions, such as the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children.

According to 2021 estimates, 50 million people are living in some form of modern slavery, for various purposes, most notably forced labor and all types of exploitation, she said, adding that illegal profits from forced labor are estimated at USD 236 billion annually, with women and girls remaining disproportionately affected by this crime and one-third of identified victims being children.

In turn, the deputy director of the Regional Centre for Combatting Cybercrime in Doha, Jassim bin Yousef Al Kuwari said that human trafficking is one of the most complex crimes and one of the gravest violations of human rights and dignity. He noted that trafficking is no longer a localized or traditional issue but has become an organized transnational crime, evolving and adapting to modern political, social, and technological contexts.

He pointed out that the challenges are intensifying with the advent of the digital realm and artificial intelligence, being misused by criminal networks to expand their operations, lure victims, and control them.

Al Kuwari said that according to the 2024 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Global Report, there has been a noticeable 25 percent increase worldwide in the number of identified trafficking victims in recent years.

 He said that amid these accelerating challenges, the Regional Centre for Combatting Cybercrime in Doha plays a vital role as an active platform supporting member states' efforts to address the cyber dimension of this crime through capacity building, developing digital analysis tools, enhancing regional and international cooperation, and giving advice on legislative development, thereby helping to close gaps and keep pace with technological advancements. (QNA)