IOM this week began a series of training events and awareness
raising workshops, that will continue for 18 months, as part of a
project to increase the capacity of legislators and policy makers
for due implementation at the state level of new
counter-trafficking legislation and of the National Plan of Action
to Prevent and Combat Trafficking in Persons.

The project will deliver sensitization and training workshops to
some 2,000 local legislators, decision makers and policy making
officials from 32 different state jurisdictions within Mexico.

In April, the Mexican Senate approved a Constitutional Reform
for articles of the Mexican Constitution which allow the Mexican
Congress to draft a General Law to Prevent and Combat Human
Trafficking, which will require all states to incorporate the bill
into their own constitutions.

Although to date, 13 Mexican states have adopted local
counter-trafficking legislation, these reforms vary in content and
effectiveness, and have caused coordination problems between the
federal and state levels.  Also, many key actors at the state
level face information gaps about the current federal
anti-trafficking law, as well as the future General Law and its
implications at the state level.

Thomas Lothar Weiss, IOM Chief of Mission in Mexico, explains:
"This project will allow IOM to continue assisting both federal and
local governments in Mexico in the implementation of effective
counter-trafficking legislation which focuses, not only on
prosecution aspects, but also on the long-term protection of
victims."

The long term effects of the project will be translated into
enhanced capacities for local governments to implement actions
related to the National Plan of Action and the new legislation, as
well as reduce the number of cases against traffickers thrown out
by Mexican judges, and improve the protection and assistance
provided to victims.

This project, which was developed following the signing of an
agreement between IOM Mexico and the United States Department of
State Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (G/TIP),
builds on the important counter-trafficking work that IOM has
developed in Mexico since 2005.

Since 2005, IOM has identified and/or assisted more than 185
trafficked persons, many of whom have been trafficked for the
purpose of labour exploitation.

The large majority of victims of trafficking are from Central
America, mostly from Guatemala.  Significant results of recent
IOM studies is that more than 60 per cent of traffickers were
women, and in most cases the victims knew the traffickers who were
either acquaintances or family members. According to Mexico's
National Human Rights Commission, an estimated 20,000 persons are
trafficked annually in Mexico, a country of origin, transit and
destination of victims.

To date, IOM has worked closely with government and civil
society partners to build capacities to prevent and prosecute the
crime; much improvement has been achieved in matters of protection
and assistance for victims.

The different capacity building activities implemented by IOM
have increased the number of victims detected and identified in
Mexico, and the capacity of the government in assisting them,
through the opening of specialized shelters, and the creation of
inter-institutional mechanisms for the return and reintegration of
victims in their countries of origin.

For more information, please contact:

Hélène Le Goff

IOM Mexico

Tel: +52 55 5536 3922

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

or

Niurka Pineiro

IOM Washington

Tel: + 1 202 862 1826, Ext. 225

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