OneWorld.net (U.S.)

The Academy for Educational Development (AED) is currently working on several antitrafficking projects. The first is management of a web site called HumanTrafficking.org. The site was commissioned by the Asian Regional Initiative Against Trafficking (ARIAT)--an international conference held in 2000 that brought together representatives of governmental and nongovernmental organizations from 18 countries in Southeast Asia and the United States. Conference participants saw the need for a web site to link people in Southeast/East Asia involved in combating human trafficking. As such, AED was asked to develop and house the site and it has been live since 2002.

HumanTrafficking.org has since become a premier internet resource for information about trafficking in Asia. Firstly, it provides information on how countries in Southeast/East Asia have addressed trafficking, including reviews of “best practice” programs. Secondly, it provides up-to-date contact and activity information for regional institutions dealing with trafficking. And, thirdly, it provides detail on new initiatives, policies, conferences, and publications.

The countries of the Mekong sub-region of Southeast Asia (Thailand, Burma, China, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam) have been particularly successful in the last year in taking steps at all levels to combat human trafficking. In Thailand, for example, NGOs have been extremely active on the issue. Despite the increased cooperation among these countries, several factors make this work challenging. These include relative ease of movement across international borders, deep-rooted socio-political and economic problems of the region, and a legacy of Western influence. Most agree that the Vietnam War and the promotion of child sex tourism in Thailand and Cambodia are two Western influences that have had the greatest negative impact. AED believes that, with positive economic and social development, much can be done to help empower Southeast Asians to continue to combat these phenomena.

One of the most effective initiatives has been the COMMIT (Coordinated Mekong Ministerial Initiative against Trafficking) process, which has been organized by the United Nations Inter-Agency Project on Trafficking (UNIAP). The COMMIT process has initiated regular dialogue at the government level in six countries. Through this program, governments in the region have committed themselves to better coordinating their policies, developing training programs for government and law enforcement officials, cooperating more closely on prosecuting traffickers, and developing more effective systems for identifying victims. As long as the UNIAP office has funding, it will be focused on encouraging governments to adhere to these commitments. Given the scope of this issue, it is expected that some 5-10 years will be needed for follow through.

Andrea Bertone Academy for Educational Development www.humantrafficking.org