Combating Human Trafficking in the UAE

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Combating Human Trafficking in the UAE
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Federal Law 51 (2006)

• Treats human trafficking as part of organized
  crime
• Criminal prosecution for offenders
• Penalties range from six months to life in prison
  
• Financial fines from about 100,000 to one million
  dirhams

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National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking

• NCCHT established in 2007.
• Supports and implements Federal Law 51
• Acts as a coordinating body at federal and
  local levels
• Committee first had 12 members now increased
  to 20
• Members from various ministries, police,
  judiciary and NGOs

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Cases/Traffickers/Victims (2013)

Emirate Cases Traffickers Victims
ABU DHABI 3 9 5
DUBAI 8 26 10
SHARJAH 6 11 7
AJMAN 2 4 2
TOTAL 19 50 24
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Case history
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Convictions (2007-2013)
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National Strategy

• Five Ps strategy shift from four-pillar
  strategy
• Prevention
• Prosecution
• Punishment
• Protection
• Promotion (of international cooperation)

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PUBLIC AWARENESS
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PUBLIC AWARENESS
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Victim protection

• Five holistic shelters for victims
• Dubai Foundation for Women and Children
  established in 2007
• Under the umbrella of the UAE Red Crescent
  Authority, Ewaa Shelter for Women and
  Children, Abu Dhabi, opened in 2008
• Two more shelters opened in Sharjah Ras Al
  Khaimah in 2010
• Male shelter opened in January 2013 to help
  prospective victims

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PROMOTION (of international cooperation)

• May 2007 ratified the United Nations
  Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime
  (2000)
• Ratified the United Nations Protocol to prevent,
  suppress and punish trafficking in persons,
  especially women and children (Palermo Protocol)
• Signed agreements with several labour-exporting
  countries to regulate the flow of workforce
• Part of the 20-member Group of Friends United
  Against Human Trafficking
• 2013 formal member of the Bali Process and its
  Ad Hoc Group to address human trafficking

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PROMOTION (of international cooperation)

• Donated 15 million to support the UN.GIFT
• Signed the Declaration on the Global Efforts to
  Combat Trafficking in Persons in New York 2011
• Collaboration with the International Training
  Centre of the Republic of Belarus
• Cooperation with IOM, ILO and UNODC
• Part of Arab strategy to build national capacity
  to combat human trafficking
• UN Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons,
  especially women and children, visiting UAE

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Dissemination of information
Annual report evolution  
2008 report 50 pages
2013-2014 report 115 pages
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Challenges

• Majority of UAEs workforce is made up of
  foreigners
• Better coordination between worker-sending and
  worker receiving countries
• Labour versus sexual exploitation
• Responsibility of private sector
• Private-public sector cooperation

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Conclusion

• The UAE admits existence of the problem in the
  country, like many others in the world
• Government is committed to cooperating with the
  international community to check human
  trafficking
• Action plan to counter human trafficking has
  yielded results
• Realizes it needs to do more, and is keen to
  intensify its efforts.

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Thank You