Rabat: A kit of practical tools to identify and detect human trafficking victims was presented on Thursday in Rabat during a ceremony organized by the Ministry of Justice and the National Coordination Commission for Measures to Combat and Prevent Human Trafficking (CNCLT).
According to Agence Marocaine De Presse, the kit presented during this meeting, initiated in partnership with the Council of Europe, aims to equip actors in the criminal justice system with comprehensive practical tools to strengthen the process of identifying and detecting human trafficking victims.
Speaking during the ceremony, the Director of Criminal Affairs and Pardons at the Ministry of Justice and CNCLT Coordinator, Hicham Mellati, said that the launch of these tools falls within the framework of boosting the Kingdom’s efforts to fight human trafficking, following the adoption of Law No. 27.14 and the creation of the CNCLT. He also underlined Morocco’s engagement in international efforts to combat human trafficking, highlighting th
e internationalization of legal principles and the ratification of relevant conventions, particularly the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its supplementary Protocols.
Mellati added that this kit includes a guide of detection and identification indicators to facilitate the discovery and handling of potential victims, as well as a glossary of the main terms related to human trafficking. It also serves as a guide to the rights of victims of human trafficking, designed to raise awareness about these rights and their implementation. Additionally, it provides sample questions and an interview guide to assist social workers, support staff, and other professionals who work directly with victims.
For his part, the Head of the Governance Section at the EU delegation in Rabat, Roco Bosco, spoke of the repercussions of human trafficking on millions of people around the world. He emphasized that children and women are particularly vulnerable to exploitation and violence, noting that i
dentifying victims remains a significant challenge. “The kit presented today aims to equip actors in this field with the necessary tools to act more effectively,” he said, noting that the guide provides practical frameworks of reference to detect, identify, guide, and support victims in an adequate manner that respects their rights.
Similarly, the Head of the Council of Europe office in Rabat, Javier Orlando Gomez Prieto, stated that human trafficking is one of the most dangerous forms of contemporary crime. He noted that the Council of Europe’s approach is guided by the Warsaw Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, which is based on the principles of prevention, victim protection, and the prosecution of offenders. Morocco is engaged in a dynamic that reflects a strong determination to bolster its national framework to keep up with international standards, he observed. He pointed out that the progress achieved in recent years is the expression of a commitment that embodies an integrated ap
proach, combining prevention with victim protection. He added that the Council of Europe is mobilizing its expertise and resources to bolster institutional capacities and the effectiveness of the response on the ground.
The presentation of the practical tool kit to identify and detect victims of human trafficking is part of the “Towards a More Protective, Accessible, and Effective Justice in Morocco” (MA-JUST) program, co-financed by the EU and the Council of Europe, and implemented by the latter.