IOM is today signing an agreement with the Afghan Ministry of
Interior (MoI) to establish a cooperation framework that will help
Afghanistan to combat human trafficking and assist victims of
trafficking and other vulnerable migrants.

Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) being signed in
Kabul by Interior Minister Mohammad Hanif Atmar and IOM Chief of
Mission Marco Boasso, IOM will, subject to available funding,
provide the MoI with counter-trafficking technical support and
capacity building, as well as help victims of trafficking and other
vulnerable migrants.

The agreement will also allow IOM to facilitate the voluntary
return and reintegration of victims of trafficking to Afghanistan
and from Afghanistan to countries of origin, through improved
bilateral and multilateral cooperation with relevant states.

It also invites IOM to work with provincial MoI offices to
combat human trafficking by raising national awareness of the
problem, which is particularly acute in Afghanistan – a
country of origin, transit and destination for trafficking
victims.

IOM has supported the Afghan government's efforts to combat
human trafficking for over five years, in areas including
prevention of the crime through awareness raising, prosecution of
traffickers and protection of victims. Its counter-trafficking
programmes are currently funded by the United States of America and
Italy.

In July 2008 IOM welcomed the enactment of Afghanistan's first
counter-trafficking legislation – the Law on Kidnapping and
Human Trafficking – drafted by the Afghan Ministry of Justice
with the help of IOM technical experts.

In Afghanistan, IOM works closely with government counterparts,
in line with the Afghan National Development Strategy (ANDS),
focusing on technical cooperation and capacity building.

IOM programmes also provide emergency relief to vulnerable
displaced families, facilitate long-term return and reintegration
to and within Afghanistan and stabilize migrant communities for
sustainable development. 

For further information, please contact:

Nigina Mamadjonova

IOM Kabul

Tel: + 93 (0) 700 066 041

E-mail: "mailto:nmamadjonova@iom.int">nmamadjonova@iom.int

Or

Ahmad Shah Haied

Tel +93 (0) 700 185 961

E-mail: "mailto:ahaied@iom.int">ahaied@iom.int