IOM Pakistan and the Ministry of the Interior this week hosted
Ambassador Mark Lagon, Director of the US State Department's Office
to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons at a conference
organized to address the challenges posed by human trafficking in
Pakistan.

The conference, which was also attended by senior officials of
key ministries and departments, representatives of United Nations
Agencies, international organizations and local NGOs, reviewed
internal and cross-border human trafficking and discussed ways to
strengthen national, regional and international collaboration to
effectively combat the problem.

In his opening remarks, IOM Regional Representative for West and
Central Asia Hassan Abdel Moneim Mostafa said that the Government
of Pakistan, with the support of IOM, has already done a great deal
of good work to address the issue.

"But if we really want to eliminate trafficking in persons we
will have to renew our collective efforts to ensure greater
awareness of this crime, improve the protection and reintegration
of victims and insist on the criminal prosecution of traffickers,"
he said.

Ambassador Lagon said that traffickers must be held accountable
and called on delegates to proactively address the question of
supply and demand for victims. He also called for better victim
support.

"We encourage Pakistan to take further steps to protect victims
of human trafficking once found. This includes more support for
NGOs providing shelter for victims, and the longer-term
rehabilitation, which permits a victim to reclaim their dignity and
live a fruitful life," he noted.

Adviser to the Ministry of Interior Rehman Malik pointed to
economic disparity as a major cause of human trafficking in
Pakistan. He also called for the creation of a focal point for
countries in the region to pool information about agents and
syndicates facilitating human trafficking.

After the meeting IOM and the Ministry of Women's Development
invited Ambassador Lagon to a Women's Centre in Islamabad where
victims of trafficking are provided with social, legal, medical,
psychological and other support required for their protection.

The centre, which was originally set up and run by IOM as a
shelter for victims of trafficking, was handed over to the Ministry
in August 2007. The Ministry has now established 25 similar centres
across the country.

For further information, please contact:

Maha Qazi

IOM Islamabad

Tel:  +92.300.8526599

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