Dunya: Maldives should not tolerate human trafficking

Minister of Foreign Affairs Dunya Maumoon has stressed the government’s commitment to combatting human trafficking, and said that activities related to human trafficking should not be tolerated by Maldives.

Dunya made this remark at a ceremony at Citron today, to launch the National Anti-Human Trafficking Action Plan.

According to Foreign Ministry, officiating the ceremony, Dunya said, “Eliminating the menace of human trafficking is a key priority of His Excellency President Yameen Abdul Gayoom and this was clearly demonstrated when the first piece of legislation enacted by him after assuming office was the Anti-Human Trafficking Law.

“Extensive work has been done by the government in building capacity of law enforcement agencies to identify traffickers and victims as well as create awareness amongst the general public on the issue. The Maldives has graduated to Tier 2 of the Human Trafficking Watch list, but there is always a danger of slipping back if our work slows down.”

The five-year action plan launched today reflects a comprehensive strategy that adopts a holistic approach by all stakeholders in combating human trafficking. It seeks to address prevention, victim protection, criminal prosecution, and international cooperation, and provides for separate shelters for male and female victims of trafficking. Furthermore the National Action Plan also focuses on formulating policies to combat trafficking and creating awareness within the community.