ISLAMABAD (20th July 2023): The Sustainable Social Development Organization (SSDO)’s national dialogue on Child Trafficking in persons and Bonded Labor has concluded in Islamabad.
The SSDO in collaboration with the US State Department, aimed to address the critical issue of child trafficking and bonded labor in Pakistan. The conference focused on strengthening the partnerships between stakeholders while promoting human-centered approaches to prevent child trafficking and simultaneously, developing a “National Referral System” for the protection and rehabilitation of victims.
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The SSDO’s national dialogue is set to provide a platform for stakeholders including government agencies, civil society organizations, and law enforcement agencies to international partners, academia, and media to collectively address the “multifaceted challenges posed by child trafficking and bonded labor”.
Key figures including the Chairperson of Punjab’s Child Protection Bureau, the Chairperson of the National Commission on the Rights of the Child (NCRC), the Additional Director General of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), and the Director-General of the National Police Bureau made insightful speeches in the presence of the Counselor of Cultural Affairs at the US State Department, Mr. Brad Parker, who also spoke at the event. Apart from representatives of the US State Department, the INL Acting Director, INL Gender, Security and Law Advisor also participated in the national dialogue on Child Trafficking and Bonded Labour in Pakistan.
In June 2023, Pakistani Police Officer Zaheer Ahmed was awarded the Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report Hero Award, by the US Secretary of State for playing a central role in guiding the Pakistan Government towards the implementation of anti-TIP laws and reforms, capacity building, and training initiatives which proved instrumental in Pakistan’s promotion from the TIP Tier 2 watchlist to Tier 2 in 2022 when he was the Director of FIA’s Anti-Human Smuggling Unit. Secretary Antony Blinken presented the award to Ahmed on June 15th during the TIP report launch ceremony, in 2023. Ahmed alongside his fellow TIP heroes participated in the TIP-focused US International Visitor Leadership Program.
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The event also included panel discussions, a documentary screening, and breakout sessions focused on enhancing the depth and impact of the discussions.
During the event, Mr. Faisal Kundi, the Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety, emphasized the challenges faced in curbing child trafficking. Mr. Kundi also shed light on the need for increased funding and awareness at the district level while reiterating the significance of international support and partnerships to protect children effectively. His presence at the event helped to underscore the government’s commitment to addressing this pressing issue and its practical and human-centric intervention to control it.
The national dialogue served as a continuation of the SSDO’s efforts centered on building momentum generated by a 2-day international conference in February which primarily focused on trafficking in persons (TIP). The event, on Thursday, placed special importance on aspects of child trafficking and bonded labor highlighting the alarmingly high figure of over 3 million people currently living in “modern slavery” within Pakistan. The statistics prove the urgency for relevant stakeholders to unite and take “collective action” against child trafficking.
On the occasion, Mr. Syed Kausar Abbas, Executive Director of the SSDO emphasized the need to strengthen coordination between stakeholders. Mr. Abbas stated that child trafficking is one of the most prevalent forms of human rights violations in the country. He stressed that with “estimates showing there are millions” of cases, the national dialogue has been organized to gather a diverse group of stakeholders and encourage debate to “extract concrete, data-driven and evidence-based policy recommendations” that will help relevant authorities and organizations in eliminating the issue in a “systematic and effective manner”.
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Concluding the event, the participants classified into four groups made recommendations. Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) emphasized transparent reporting, identifying trafficking hotspots, and strengthening cybercrime resources. On the other hand, Child Rights Institutions suggested adding awareness messaging to school curricula and disseminating it through television and/or videos. They also proposed creating child rehabilitation centers with life-skills training across all provinces.
Meanwhile, legislators and policymakers focused on increasing the punishment for predators and traffickers simultaneously establishing separate child protection courts in all provinces. This group aimed to agree on a definitive age for a child to improve coordination. Likewise, the media and civil society group emphasized the need for advocacy, while including children in dialogues, and improving coordination among relevant departments namely the Council of Common Interest, as well as madrassa monitoring to strengthen the cause.
It is pertinent to mention that the SSDO has actively been implementing a project across Pakistan with support from the US State Department which aims to strengthen institutional capacity and collaboration among various stakeholders, enabling effective implementation of legal frameworks against trafficking while increasing direct referrals of victims for essential services and rehabilitation.
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