National Day against Human Trafficking today

By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, Sept. 5: Minister for Women, Children, and Senior Citizens Nawal Kishor Sah Sudi has said that the Human Trafficking and Smuggling (Control) Act-2064 BS (2008) will be taken to the cabinet within a week.  

Speaking at an interaction programme organised by the Women, Law and Development Forum (FWLD) on Wednesday, Minister Shah said that the Act would be amended after completing the process.

“Formulation of laws alone is not sufficient to address the problems, their effective implementation and wider cooperation are needed,” he said.  

The 18th National Day against Human Trafficking is being celebrated on Thursday (September 5) by organising various programmes. Every year, the day is observed to generate awareness to mitigate human trafficking. 

This year the theme for the day is “Three Levels of Government against Human Trafficking.” 

Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially women and children, 2000 is one of the supplementary Palermo Protocols. 

A total of 182 nations, including Nepal, have ratified this protocol. 

Nepal has taken a step forward against human trafficking by ratifying the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Person especially Women and Children (Palermo Protocol) on June 16, 2020. It has been a major international instrument to combat human trafficking.

Meanwhile, the Bagmati Province Government has formulated provincial policy 2024 to combat human trafficking and transportation and to protect the victims.  

Some local levels like Sanfebagar Municipality of Sudurpashchim Province, Shivapuri Rural Municipality of Bagmati Province and Bhadrapur Municipality of Koshi have enacted laws to combat human trafficking and transportation and to provide assistance to the victims. These local levels have also published the laws in the gazette. 

Other local levels such as Dhankuta Municipality, Dipayal Silgadhi Municipality, Mangalsen Municipality, Bannigadhi Jaygadh Rural Municipality, Kamal Bazaar Municipality and Turmakhand Rural Municipality are in the process of enacting laws to combat human trafficking.

Executive Director of FWLD Sabin Shrestha said that Nepal had not made a compatible definition of human trafficking crime and human smuggling with the internationally recognised definition.

Shrestha said if Nepal did not amend its laws to make its definition of human trafficking crime and human smuggling compatible with the provisions of international laws, the country could not solve foreign employment-related issues and illegal migration.  

He said the Palermo Protocol was a comprehensive international instrument with an international definition of human trafficking and comprehensive provisions to ensure justice for victims of human trafficking.

The concerned authorities must ensure its duty to implement the Protocol and the commitment made in the international forum. However, Nepal has accepted various Unconditional Positive Regard (UPR) recommendations on the issue of trafficking and migrant workers, he said. 

He requested the government to amend the Act for the implementation of the Palermo Protocol to prevent, suppress and punish trafficking in human beings that was endorsed by Nepal on June 16, 2020. 

FWLD Chair Gita Aryal, advocates Rojina Shrestha and Binod Chandra Devkota among others stressed the need to amend the Act to fulfill Nepal’s commitments against human trafficking in the international forum.