Media Reports
Asian leaders meet in Capital to combat human trafficking Political leaders from 12 Asian countries converged in the Capital on Friday to formulate cross-national, cross-party strategies to combat human trafficking in the region. The two-day workshop organised by the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAAP), a network of Asian political parties, in collaboration with the government of Nepal, aims to issue a Kathmandu Declaration at the end. The declaration will provide a platform for political parties to coordinate with government and non-government organisations to prevent citizens from being trafficked, protect the trafficked and punish traffickers. Speaking at the conference, Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare, Riddhi Baba Pradhan said that the dimensions of human trafficking had changed and were no longer limited to trafficking of women and children for sex or labour. Pradhan also said that despite legal provisions, lack of awareness was still leading to citizens being trafficked and exploited. Chairman of the Council of Ministers Khil Raj Regmi called human trafficking a challenge to human virtue and a stain on human civilisation. Elaborating on the dimensions of human trafficking, Regmi said that people were now being traded for their organs and as recruits to criminal outfits and terrorist organisations. Stressing on the enforcement of law to combat human trade, Regmi expressed his hoped that the workshop participants would provide persuasive recommendations. Leaders from 21 political parties from Azerbaijan, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, South Korea, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Turkey participated in the conference, where they held discussions on raising public awareness on human trafficking, mapping trans-border networks of cooperation and establishing fast-track punishment system. |
)
)