IOM and the ILO, in cooperation with the Permanent Mission of Italy
to the United Nations, are joining forces to add the practitioners'
perspective, which includes tools and mechanisms for technical
cooperation, in the fight against human trafficking to the
high-level panel presentations and policy discussions taking place
during the UN's General Assembly Thematic Interactive Debate on
Human Trafficking.

"When IOM first began working in the area of counter-trafficking
in South Eastern Europe in the mid-1990's, little was known about
this modern-day form of slavery; there were few actors, and little
action," says IOM Deputy Director General Ndioro Ndiaye, who will
take part in the thematic debate as a panellist. "In the past 15
years, we have learned many lessons about victim protection."

Organized criminal groups earn billions of dollars each year
from the trafficking and exploitation of their victims.  The
demand for cheap labour, sexual services and certain criminal
activities are root causes of trafficking; while poverty of
opportunity and resources, as well as a lack of social power are
other contributing factors.

IOM will present the IOM Handbook on Direct Assistance to
Victims of Trafficking, which provides guidance and advice
necessary to effectively deliver a full range of assistance to
victims of trafficking from the point of initial contact and
screening up to the effective social reintegration of the
individuals concerned.  The ILO will also share counter
trafficking tools, and the Italian government will discuss best
practices.

The side event is intended to provide delegates with an overview
of concrete operational approaches to combat human trafficking,
present concrete examples of tools used and discuss a comprehensive
approach to fight trafficking within the wider context of managing
migration.  

Since 1994, IOM has carried out some 500 counter-trafficking
projects in 85 countries, and has provided assistance to
approximately 20,000 trafficked persons. 

The event is open to the public and is taking place Wednesday,
13 May at 1:15 pm in Conference Room 7 at UN Headquarters in New
York.

The IOM Handbook is available at "paragraph-link-no-underline" href=
"/jahia/Jahia/cache/offonce/pid/1674?entryId=13452" target=""
title=
"">http://www.iom.int/jahia/Jahia/cache/offonce/pid/1674?entryId=13452

For more information, please contact:

Anke Strauss

IOM New York

Tel: +1-212-681-7000 ext. 203

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