NIAMEY, NIGER, 1 – 3 February 2022 The ECOWAS Commission organizes the 14th Annual Review Meeting against Trafficking in Persons Plus (RNNI-TIP+)
NIAMEY, NIGER, 1 – 3 February 2022, Hotel Noom. The ECOWAS Commission organized the annual review meeting of the regional network of national focal points against human trafficking plus. This meeting is organized with the support of the “Organized Crime: West African Response to Trafficking (OCWAR-T)” Project, funded by the European Union and the German Government and the International Center for Policy Development migration (ICMPD). Trafficking in Persons (TdP) is a widespread phenomenon throughout the ECOWAS region and countries have their distinct characteristics. Socio-economic and geographical factors, migration processes, education, armed conflicts and violence, natural disasters shape the phenomenon of trafficking in the region. Children and adolescents constitute the largest group of identified victims of TdP in all ECOWAS Member States. The Covid-19 pandemic and the restrictions introduced, have led to increased vulnerabilities to exploitation for a large group of the population. National responses to human trafficking are facing challenges and new priorities and have had to adapt their actions accordingly. Achieving human security in the ECOWAS region through the fight against ToP and the protection of vulnerable people is a top priority for ECOWAS, which has adopted several regional instruments and guidelines in this regard.
This annual meeting allowed ECOWAS Member States to reflect on a new integrated approach to protection and human security, championed by the Department of Social Affairs and Gender of the ECOWAS Commission. During this three-day meeting, participants discussed the achievements, the challenges identified in 2021 as well as the prospects for 2022 in their respective countries.
ICMPD presented the baseline assessment of national, regional and international cooperation mechanisms for the protection of trafficked persons, and related frameworks on crimes against the person of ECOWAS Member States and Mauritania, as well as the reference study on the Regional Policy for the Prevention of Crimes against the Person. Based on the results of these two assessments, the meeting gave participants the opportunity to discuss steps towards the establishment of a Regional Referral Mechanism (RMM) for victims of trafficking, the establishment of the Policy Regional Prevention of Crime against Persons. These discussions are taking place in the wake of ongoing high-level advocacy, coordination and capacity building workshops on integrated human security in countries led by the ECOWAS Commission. Finally, the meeting will also present the various ongoing initiatives aimed at strengthening national referral mechanisms and bilateral cooperation to combat human trafficking. For more info on the OCWAR-T project:
https://www.raosupportcellecowas.com/post/organised-crime-west-african-response-to-trafficking-ocwar-t
For further information on the meeting, please contact:
International Center for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD)
ICMPDAbuja@icmpd.org