Lebanon - The Lebanese Supreme Court and IOM Lebanon have organized a roundtable discussion with 13 judges and prosecutors from Beirut and Mount Lebanon to reflect on Lebanon’s current assistance to and protection of victims of human trafficking.

The discussion was conducted as part of the IOM regional project: “Protect and Assist the Vulnerable and Exploited Migrant Workers in the Middle East and North Africa” (PAVE), funded by the European Union (EU) and co-funded by the Italian Ministry of Interior. The roundtable was also supported by the United States.

Lebanon’s Anti Trafficking Law No. 164/2011 is relatively new and the Lebanese government and criminal justice system are working to improve its implementation.

Roundtable participants included Belgian Attorney General Philippe De Koster, who shared Belgium’s experience of implementing its Anti-Trafficking Law over the past 20 years.

Marcelo Mori, Head of the Sustainable Development Section of the EU Delegation to Lebanon, also took part. He described the EU’s threefold approach to tackle the crime – prevention, protection of victims and prosecution of offenders.

Lebanon Supreme Court Chief Jean Fahed noted the importance of discussing the crime from both a local and international legal perspective. Trafficking threatens sovereignty and security, as well as human values and dignity, he observed, calling on Lebanese judges to combat the crime.

The PAVE project aims to contribute to the protection of migrant workers against exploitation and trafficking in five countries; Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Lebanon. It includes six main activities: training, regional dialogue, study visits, victim assistance, awareness raising and research and analysis. It is implemented through engaging civil society actors, government officials, migrants and the general public.

For further information, please contact Fitriana Nur at IOM Lebanon, Tel: +961 (7) 662 06 48, Email: fnur@iom.int