AFGHANISTAN - IOM Backs Afghanistan's Efforts to Combat Human Trafficking, Assist Victims - IOM is today signing an agreement with the Afghan Ministry of Interior (MoI) to establish a cooperation framework that will help Afghanistan to combat human trafficking and assist victims of trafficking and other vulnerable migrants.
Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) being signed in Kabul by Interior Minister Mohammad Hanif Atmar and IOM Chief of Mission Marco Boasso, IOM will, subject to available funding, provide the MoI with counter-trafficking technical support and capacity building, as well as help victims of trafficking and other vulnerable migrants.
The agreement will also allow IOM to facilitate the voluntary return and reintegration of victims of trafficking to Afghanistan and from Afghanistan to countries of origin, through improved bilateral and multilateral cooperation with relevant states.
It also invites IOM to work with provincial MoI offices to combat human trafficking by raising national awareness of the problem, which is particularly acute in Afghanistan - a country of origin, transit and destination for trafficking victims.
IOM has supported the Afghan government's efforts to combat human trafficking for over five years, in areas including prevention of the crime through awareness raising, prosecution of traffickers and protection of victims. Its counter-trafficking programmes are currently funded by the US and Italy.
In July 2008 IOM welcomed the enactment of Afghanistan's first counter-trafficking legislation - the Law on Kidnapping and human Trafficking - drafted by the Afghan Ministry of Justice with the help of IOM technical experts.
In Afghanistan, IOM works closely with government counterparts, in line with the Afghan National Development Strategy (ANDS), focusing on technical cooperation and capacity building.
IOM programmes also provide emergency relief to vulnerable displaced families, facilitate long-term return and reintegration to and within Afghanistan and stabilize migrant communities for sustainable development.
For further information, please contact Nigina Mamadjonova at IOM Kabul.
Tel: + 93 (0) 700 066 041. Email: nmamadjonova@iom.int. Or
Ahmad Shah Haied, Tel +93 (0) 700 185 961. Email: ahaied@iom.int
CAPE VERDE - Diaspora Train Professionals in Key Sectors Back Home - An IOM supported programme aimed at strengthening the competencies and skills of professionals in Cape Verde has begun a new phase with members of the country's diaspora returning home temporarily to train staff in their respective professional sectors.
The programme, promoted by the Instituto das Comunidades de Cabo Verde, involves diaspora professionals residing in the Netherlands, Italy and Portugal in efforts to build and strengthen key development sectors in Cape Verde such as health, education, tourism and infrastructure.
With the government committed to developing human resources as part of its National Development Plan, and to ensure sustainability, the programme is focusing on passing on skills and knowledge through training rather than short-term job assignments.
Demand to participate in the programme among the diaspora in the three European countries has been high. More than 100 mostly young professionals have already registered their profile and applied online for published vacancies on www.diasdecaboverde.org, a dynamic and interactive interface between Cape Verde and its diaspora, although programme funding means only 30 training missions will be possible.
Ten diaspora professionals each from Italy, Netherlands and Portugal are being chosen, with two people having already begun their training missions at the main hospital in Mindelo on São Vicente island and at the Institute of Civil Engineering in Praia, on the island of Santiago.
Their respective aims are to enhance the managerial and leadership skills at the hospital among nursing and administrative staff and to help build motivation, a corporate culture and a career path structure and to pass on knowledge of applied information technology.
The remaining missions in the programme which is funded by the European Commission and the Portuguese Cooperation Institute, will be carried out in the coming months.
For further information, please contact Marta Bronzin, IOM Portugal, Tel: + 351 21 324 2940, email: mbronzin@iom.int or Dario Muhamudo, IOM Cape Verde, +Tel: 238 260 1791 email: dmuhamudo@iom.int
