Indonesia, UAE Sign MoU To Prevent Human Trafficking

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - The governments of Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Prevention of Human Trafficking and Protection of Victims, noted a Foreign Affairs Ministry's press release, received here, Monday.

The cooperation agreement was signed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno L.P. Marsudi and UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah in Abu Dhabi on the sidelines of a state visit of President Joko Widodo to the UAE.

The agreement includes law enforcement, investigation, and prosecution.

In addition, the two countries agreed to provide protection, rehabilitation, and assistance, including the repatriation of victims of human trafficking.

The governments of Indonesia and the UAE will also increase their capacity and implement preventive measures against human trafficking crimes.

The two governments are optimistic that the agreement would reduce the number of victims of human trafficking.

"The number of Indonesian citizens, who become the victims of human trafficking in the Middle East and North Africa, has increased," the minister pointed out.

"The MoU will help Indonesia in its efforts to prevent and deal with cases of human trafficking in the region," the minister emphasized.

In addition, the minister noted that the UAE, as one of the countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), has seriously addressed the issue of human trafficking within the framework of the Palermo Protocol.

The Palermo Protocol is a protocol to prevent, suppress, and punish those involved in the trafficking of humans, especially women and children, thereby supplementing the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime.

This protocol, which is in force, was signed by the United Kingdom on December 14, 2000, and was ratified on February 9, 2006. It provides a definition of trafficking that has since become a widely accepted standard and used in other international instruments.

"The two countries should strengthen international cooperation in handling human trafficking as they ratified the Palermo Protocol," the minister stated.

Based on data from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the number of citizens who live in the UAE reached 80 thousand, of which 72 thousand were workers in the informal sector. (WDY)