KUWAIT: The UN office in Kuwait praised the cooperation with the Kuwaiti ministries and public and private bodies in combating human trafficking and preventing the exploitation of human rights. In a press statement Friday, the UN Secretary-General Representative and Resident Coordinator in the country Dr Tariq Al-Sheikh on the occasion of the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, which was marked on Friday, said that international migration organization has undertaken many projects and initiatives aimed at combating human trafficking.

He noted that among those projects are five awareness campaigns to shed light on human trafficking and the rights of domestic workers in partnership with the Kuwaiti ministries of foreign affairs, interior and information. He affirmed that the organization worked in close partnership with the government of Kuwait to enhance the capacities of the relevant national authorities and ministries in charge of protecting victims of trafficking.

Sheikh stated that the UN affirms its commitment to combating human trafficking, and to this end, several agreements were signed, including the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Human Trafficking. The UN Migration Network supports the capabilities of the Kuwaiti government to enhance and improve migration governance, including facilitating regular migration pathways and addressing and reducing vulnerabilities faced by migrants, he added.

Meanwhile, the Head of the IOM's mission in Kuwait, Mazen Abul-Hassan, said that every year the organization seizes this opportunity to raise awareness of the seriousness of the crime of human trafficking, highlighting the suffering of survivors and clarify their rights.

Abul-Hassan added that the organization relies on two approaches to combat human trafficking, firstly, prevention through awareness-raising and training on the issue of human trafficking, and secondly, protection by providing assistance to survivors and working with governments on policies to combat this crime. - KUNA