Cairo, 27 January 2020 - The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Cairo Court of Appeal organized the first meeting of the newly established Forum of Judges on Counter Trafficking on 26 and 27 January 2020 in Cairo. The Forum aims at providing a space for in-depth interaction and dialogue between senior judges, who are employed in the ten specialized chambers for human trafficking cases housed in the eight Courts of Appeal in Egypt. The Forum focuses on court proceeding actions and steps towards enhancing existing practices and policies.

A number of experts with different background and know-how took part in the Forum meeting in Cairo with the scope of sharing their knowledge on trafficking in human beings and, in particular, on the court proceedings of such criminal cases. A review of the international and national legal framework was also conducted with due attention to the 2003 Additional Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children (the so-called Palermo Protocol) and the Egyptian Anti-Trafficking Law no. 64/2010, which incorporates the relevant international standards on counter human trafficking.

During the meeting, the participating judges were involved in open discussions to identify how to enhance the effectiveness of the trial procedure and to devise practical and policy recommendations for better trying and sentencing trafficking cases. The recommendations will be aimed to be updated in the future Forum’s meetings and then presented to the higher judicial entities of Egypt.

“Judges play a key role in the ascertainment of the human trafficking cases and punishment of the perpetrators through conducting the trial. Therefore, effective court proceedings will substantially contribute in better understanding the complexity and trends of such crime in addition to punishing the perpetrators while protecting and compensating the victims” said Laurent de Boeck, Chief of Mission of IOM Egypt.

The Forum was made possible by the contribution of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Denmark and it contributes to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In particular, SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities, SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions and SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals. It is also in-line with the objectives of Egypt’s Sustainable Development Strategy (SDS): Vision 2030, particularly its social justice pillar.

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