Qatar reiterates commitment to combating human trafficking

DOHA: Minister of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs H E Dr Issa bin Saad Al Jafali Al Nuaimi said yesterday that Qatar is committed to combatting human trafficking and exerts all efforts to combat this phenomenon, in full compliance with international law and strengthening cooperation to meet common challenges with relevant stakeholders.

The Minister was speaking at a forum, organised by Qatar Airwyas, on the issue of human trafficking. The ‘Combatting Human Trafficking Forum’ was opened by Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker.

Addressing the forum yesterday, the Minister said that Doha has supported the UN Global Plan of Action against Human Trafficking since its launch. The country has adopted national legislation which criminalises all forms and patterns of human trafficking, under which the National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking was established, which is the national coordinator for the monitoring and prevention of combating this phenomenon.

Qatar has adopted the National Plan to Combat Human Trafficking, which is based on prevention, awareness-raising, training of workers in different sectors of society, protection and care for victims and prosecution of perpetrators.

It is also based on regional and international cooperation to combat this crime, the Minister added. He stressed on the commitment of the Committee to provide all forms of cooperation and support to local and international partners to contribute to training and awareness of all stakeholders, including those working in the aviation sector.

The Minister praised the efforts of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to sensitise airport staff and cabin crews to indicators of human trafficking crime through the guidance issued periodically by the Organization in cooperation with competent international bodies to combat this crime.

Addressing the conference Al Baker, said: “Qatar Airways is exceptionally proud to be the first Middle Eastern airline to bring this forum to the Middle Eastern region. It is particularly meaningful at this time because member airlines at the 74th IATA Annual General Meeting, held earlier this year, unanimously approved a resolution denouncing human trafficking and committed to a number of important anti-trafficking initiatives”.

Al Baker added, “As Chairman of the IATA Board of Governors, I am pleased to be able to give my advocacy and support to this vital resolution. As a member airline, we are committed to raising awareness about human trafficking across our country and the world, to train our staff on every aircraft and in every office around the globe. We are in the business of freedom, and we will not allow this crime to fly under the radar.”

Qatar Airways is the first Middle Eastern airline to host a conference addressing the issue of human trafficking. The airline brought representatives from key international partner organisations to share valuable information and inspiration with forum delegates. These included International Aviation Transport Association (IATA) Assistant Director, External Affairs, Tim Colehan; United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Advisor on Human Trafficking, Youla Haddadin; United Nations International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Technical Officer, Martin Maurino; and Airline Ambassadors International (AAI) Board Member, Pastor Donna Hubbard, who is a survivor of human trafficking.

By Sachin Kumar | The Peninsula

أكد سعادة الدكتور عيسى بن سعد الجفالي النعيمي وزير التنمية الإدارية والعمل والشؤون الاجتماعية، على المخاطر التي تنطوي على جريمة الاتجار بالبشر، والتي أضحت ظاهرة عالمية تشكل تهديداً كبيراً لمجتمعاتنا، وتحدياً كبيراً لإرادة المجتمع الدولي وسعيه لتحقيق التنمية والرخاء.

ونوه بالجهود التي بذلتها دولة قطر لمكافحة هذه الجريمة التزاماً منها بقوانين عمل الأمم المتحدة لمكافحة الاتجار بالبشر منذ انطلاقها.

ولفت خلال مخاطبته حضور منتدى مكافحة الاتجار بالبشر في قطاع الطيران بالدوحة، يوم أمس، إلى أن الاتجار بالبشر جريمة عابرة للحدود قد تتخذ أشكالاً عدة في تنقلها بين الدول في المطارات والموانئ المختلفة وتستخدم وسائل مختلفة للاحتيال والاستغلال، موضحاً أهمية توعية وتدريب موظفي المطارات وشركات الطيران لمؤشرات هذه الجريمة وكيفية التصرف حيال وجود أحد هذه المؤشرات.

وشدد سعادته على أهمية الحدث المقام عبر تعاون كل من الخطوط الجوية القطرية واللجنة الوطنية لمكافحة الاتجار بالبشر.

جهود

وأشاد سعادته في كلمة ألقاها خلال المنتدى بالجهود التي تبذلها منظمة الطيران المدني الدولي لتوعية موظفي المطارات حول مؤشرات جريمة الاتجار بالبشر، من خلال الإرشادات التي تصدر دولياً من المنظمة بالتعاون مع الهيئات الدولية المختصة لمكافحة هذه الجريمة، مثمناً حرص الخطوط الجوية القطرية على تدريب وتوعية أطقمها الأرضية والجوية على آلية التصرف حيال توافر أحد مؤشرات هذه الجريمة.;