STATEMENT BY THE RT HON PRIME MINSTER,

 

DR B.SIBUSISO DLAMINI

 

AT THE LAUNCH OF THE VICTIM IDENTIFICATION GUIDELINES AND NATIONAL REFERRAL MECHANISM - HUMAN TRAFFICKING

 

AT THE ROYAL SWAZI SPA, EZULWINI

 

 

 

MONDAY 2 NOVEMBER 2015

 

 

 

Honourable Ministers

 

Director of SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security

 

Cooperation, Mr Jorge Cardoso

 

Regional Representative of United Nations Office on Drugs

 

and Crime, Dr Zhuldyz

 

Head of the Prevention of People Trafficking and Smuggling Secretariat

 

Distinguished Guests

 

Representatives of the Media

 

Ladies and Gentlemen

 

 

 

 

Today, the Kingdom of Swaziland takes a further step in its campaign to make a substantial contribution to the global fight against human trafficking.We are launching the Victim Identification Guidelines and National Referral Mechanism.

 

 

Under normal circumstances one would not create a public event to formalise an administrative step in a programme of work in the public sector.But with regard to human trafficking we are not dealing with normal circumstances, and with the Prevention of People Trafficking and Smuggling Secretariat being based in the Office of the Prime Minister, it falls on my shoulders to ensure this further step gets the publicity it warrants.

 

 

 

You will have heard it said many times that human trafficking is the equivalent of modern day slavery.Let us never forget that analogy, for it is slavery and it ruins the lives of victims in order that the sociopathic greed of the traffickers is satisfied.With most of the victims being women and children, a great deal of trafficking is for sexual abuse purposes, thus adding to the irreparable suffering of the victims.

 

 

 

So it has to be stopped.Just one case of human trafficking is one too many.So every effort should be made to stop this crime.And by taking every opportunity to bring it to the public's attention, we are heightening awareness and sharpening society's knowledge and understanding, to assist in the recognition of human trafficking when encountered in everyday life.

 

 

 

One fundamental difference from the slavery of centuries gone by is, of course, is that modern human trafficking is a great deal harder to detect.So, effective strategies and action plans have to be developed to fight the crime, hence our own National Strategic Framework and Action Plan 2013-2015.Furthermore, with any programme of this nature where most, if not all, countries are affected, there needs to be a commonality, a collaboration between countries.

 

The United States Government has done a massive amount to motivate and assist countries in their respective initiatives and we will always be grateful for that. Within the collaboration created from that momentum, there has to be a common methodology that deals with the vital questions of - how do you identify a victim and, having done that, how do you go about looking after the victim?

 

 

 

So, what we are seeing today is the launch of the key operational tools that deal with those two issues in a standardised manner, consistent with the approach of our international partners.And we should be aware that, at the same time as fighting trafficking we are also covering people smuggling, which similarly involves exploitation and frequently considerable danger - even death, as we have recently seen happening in Europe.

 

 

 

You will recall that, two months ago, on 3 August 2015, Swaziland commemorated, for the first time, the World Day Against Trafficking In Persons with the focus on victim care and protection.The document that we are launching today speaks to both the identification and proper handling of victims.It is divided into two parts, the first being the Victim Identification Guidelines which outlines the guiding principles of victim identification.The second part consists of the National Referral Mechanism which sets out the working procedures and the key role players for inter-departmental responses to the crime of people trafficking.

 

 

 

Expressed another way, the document outlines the relevant procedures when identifying presumed victims, when investigating and conducting the prosecution of such crimes, and when the repatriation or social reintegration of victims becomes necessary.

 

 

 

The document is drawn up to enable the various structures and agencies, responsible for victim identification, to do their work properly.I am referring, in particular, to the frontline officials who include the police, immigration and customs officials, officials at ports of entry, health personnel, and defence and social welfare officers, among others.

 

 

 

The guidelines further assist the work of the Emergency Response Team (ERT) which is responsible for responding to reported cases of people trafficking and then for handling the victims.

 

 

 

Not only is it essential that frontline officials and Emergency Response Team officers be clearly identified in all four regions but that they be properly trained according to international standards.This document informs on that process.It is not only a national document but, because of the degree of cooperation with other countries and the standardisation of procedures, its content can also be considered international in status.

 

 

 

Officials must be conversant with this document, and abide by the procedures and principles therein.

 

 

 

I hasten to add that we, as a country, will continue to engage the regional and international bodies to ensure that our work is on record and in accordance with the relevant obligations.As we launch this document we hope it will assist the Secretariat to connect more effectively with the Regional Data Collection Tool, which we assisted in piloting.The Regional Data Collection Tool, I should explain, is a victim-centred tool which gathers the data on victims identified, services provided to victims, and steps taken towards the prosecution of the cases, together with the conclusion of the processes through which victims are taken.With an improved victim identification process and referral mechanism, we are significantly better placed to improve the country's ability to combat people trafficking.

 

 

 

Working actively within the international protocol and strategy framework, we take careful note of all regional agreements and plans which are developed by Member States of SADC.These include the Strategic Indicative Plan for the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Co-operation (SIPO) which was launched in the Republic of Tanzania in November 2012, as well as the SADC Strategy to Combat Trafficking in Persons.As a member of SADC, the Kingdom of Swaziland, through the Prevention of People Trafficking and Smuggling Secretariat in my Office, has its programmes aligned with regional plans.This should provide our people with a great degree of assurance as it ensures strengthened international co-operation which is evident by the presence at today's launch of representatives ofMr. Jorge Cardoso, Director of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Co-operation, as well as Dr Zhudyz Akisheva, Regional Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).We thank them very much for joining us here today.

 

 

 

We are grateful for these vital links, not least because they keep us up to speed on issues of regional and international concern.While on that subject, I must emphasise the need to sustain a high degree of co-operation among, and within, the Member States themselves.For example, with the advent of the Victim Identification Guidelines, more intensive co-operation is likely to occur between Swaziland and her neighbours in the process of identifying victims.This will give rise to the need for building our capacity to investigate cases at cross-border level.I ask the respective Ministries to ensure that they work willingly and collaboratively when playing their roles in facilitating the link between our Secretariat and the respective agencies in partner countries.

 

 

 

I take this opportunity to express our deep appreciation toUNODC and the SADC Secretariat for the technical support and organization of this launch of the Victim Identification Guidelines and National Referral Mechanism.It enables me also to thank SADC and UNODC for securing the collaboration within SADC countries in the combined battle against human trafficking.I also thank UNODC and the SADC Secretariat for their assistance in the forthcoming legislative drafting session to finalise amendments and regulations relating to the People Trafficking and Smuggling (Prohibition) Act of 2009.

 

Putting together this document requires technique dedication and resources. It is the product, not only of technical skill and dedication, but it is built from a programme of extensive consultations and deliberations with a wide range of stakeholders.It is a multi-sectoral, overarching guide which provides a comprehensive guide and operating procedures in a standardized form.All stakeholders will be grateful for this tool and we ask all to dedicate their time to understanding and absorbing the contents to ensure close adherence to them at all times.

 

It is now my honour to declare the Victim Identification Guidelines and National Referral Mechanism document duly launched.

 

 

Thank you.