Airline community tackling trafficking in various forms

Qatar has initiated standing and internationally-recognised advances to combat human trafficking as part of a well-coordinated and collaborative approach, Qatar Airways Group chief executive Akbar al-Baker has said.

“To take this fight beyond our borders and into the global arena that international aviation enters every day, Qatar has a well formed national strategy to end all human trafficking activities, which the various government ministries and committees execute through their departmental activities and initiatives,” he stressed at the ‘Combating Human Trafficking Forum’ held in Doha yesterday.

Al-Baker also highlighted the steps the airline community is taking to fight human trafficking “in its various forms”.

He stressed that such close collaboration with the government, Qatar Airways and aviation industry partners “brings together a uniquely effective and well-resourced alliance.”

The forum also supports Qatar’s considerable initiatives in advancing laws, infrastructure and programmes and policies that prevent human trafficking. Qatar demonstrated its commitment to addressing challenges at the US–Qatar Strategic Dialogue earlier this year, when the foreign ministers of both countries signed the ‘US–Qatar Anti-Trafficking’ memorandum of understanding.

In addition, Qatar’s National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking also hosts workshops and provides advice and resources to address what was described as “a global priority.” Earlier this year, the US State Department released the ‘2018 Trafficking in Persons Report’, an annual publication documenting the efforts of 187 governments in combating human trafficking. This year’s report ranked Qatar at Tier Two, the second highest of four possible rankings, and cited efforts by Qatar to prevent human trafficking.

“The aviation industry is well equipped and motivated to take our responsibility seriously and to have our eyes open to end human trafficking whether you are in aviation, government, community or non-governmental organisation sector here today, what will be your story?” al-Baker said.

“In civil aviation, we are in the business of freedom, our business transcends borders and biases. In the last 18 months since the illegal embargo of my beloved country, my nation and my airline have had to fight against this attack on our sovereignty,” he said. “We know what it is to value freedom and so as a nation and as an airline we will use our freedom to work for the freedom of those who have lost theirs, to modern slavery, that will be my story.”

“Collectively we have abundant resources, however, what we can do better is to communicate, collaborate, and coordinate our activities for the collective purpose of why we are here today. This is to end human trafficking, let that be our story and our proud legacy,” al-Baker added.

السبيعي: قطاع الطيران مهم لمواجهة هذه الآفة

أكد سعادة السيد عبدالله بن ناصر تركي السبيعي -رئيس الهيئة العامة للطيران المدني- أن رؤية قطر 2030، تدعو إلى حماية ومنح حقوق الإنسان ومكافحة الاتجار بالبشر، وهي ظاهرة أصبحت منتشرة على مستوى العالم، ولا بد من مكافحتها والقضاء عليها، لافتاً إلى أنه لهذا الهدف تم إنشاء لجنة خاصة لمكافحة الاتجار بالبشر.

وأشار سعادته -في تصريح للصحافيين على هامش منتدى مكافحة الاتجار بالبشر في قطاع الطيران- إلى أن قطاع الطيران قطاع مهم، وله دور محوري في مكافحة هذه الآفة، لافتاً إلى أن دولة قطر والمنظمة الدولية للطيران المدني اتخذتا الكثير من التدابير التي من شأنها ردع هذه الظاهرة، وقال: لقد حققت قطر العديد من النجاحات في هذا المجال، وهي مستمرة بالتعاون مع الجهات المعنية للقضاء على هذه الظاهرة.

ولفت السبيعي إلى أنه ما من جديد في موضوع الحصار المفروض على الطيران القطري، آملاً أن تكون هناك تغيرات على أرض الواقع، إلا أن ذلك لم يحدث حتى اللحظة، مشيراً إلى أن هيئة الطيران المدني مستمرة مع منظمة الطيران المدني الدولية في متابعة الشكاوى المقدمة.;