Alexandria, 25 June – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Egypt, in coordination with the National Coordinating Committee to Combat and Prevent Illegal Migration and Trafficking in Persons (NCCPIM&TIP) and the National Centre for Judicial Studies (NCJS) of the Ministry of Justice, organized a capacity-building training for 25 judges on counter-trafficking and smuggling. This training is part of a long-term series which intends to build the capacity of prosecutors, judges, and law enforcement officials in the framework of IOM and the Government of Egypt’s strategic approach to combatting transnational migration-related crimes. The three-day sessions strengthened the expertise of the attendees on national and international legal frameworks, protocols and standards to strengthen the adjudication of migration-related crimes.

According to Mr. Andrea Dabizzi, Head of Migration and Protection Assistance (MPA) Unit at IOM Egypt, “Smuggling and trafficking in persons continues to be a high-profit and low-risk crime for smugglers and traffickers. Only tackling these issues multilaterally and in cooperation with all parts of government and society can we hope to prevent these crimes.” Mr. Dabizzi also spoke of the importance of cross-border cooperation in tackling transnational crimes, highlighting the upcoming collaboration of IOM and the Government of Egypt on regional fora regarding cooperation and sharing of best practices on these topics.

H.E. Ambassador Naela Gabr, Chairperson of NCCPIM&TiP, stated that: “The Government of Egypt has shown its dedication to combatting these phenomena through legislative measures, regional and international coordination, and Egypt’s role leading the charge in capacity building and knowledge-sharing on the continent.”

The training was conducted under the Government of the Netherlands’ programme “Strengthening Egyptian Governmental Efforts to Combat Trafficking in Persons”, through which IOM collaborates with the Government of Egypt in implementing the 2016-2021 National Strategy to combat trafficking in persons. The trainings support the achievement of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions, Goal 8: (8.7) End modern day slavery and human trafficking and Goal 17: Revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development. The initiative is also in line with ‘Egypt Vision 2030’ for a fair interdependent society characterized by equal economic, social, political rights and opportunities realizing social inclusion.

For more information, please contact Omar Awwad at IOM Egypt, Tel: +20 1032 049 144; Email: oawwad@iom.int