Egypt Establishing a National Committee to Prevent Trafficking in Persons:  A Significant Step to Combat a Serious Violation of Human Rights

 

Dr. Mohamed Y. Mattar

Research Professor and Executive Director of The Protection Project at the Johns Hopkins University-School of Advanced International Studies

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            On July 11, 2007 the Council of Ministers in Egypt approved a draft presidential decision to establish a National Coordinating Committee to Combat and Prevent Trafficking in Persons.  The Committee shall be a consultative reference to concerned authorities and other national institutions.  The functions of the committee shall be as follows:

 

-         To draft a national plan of action to combat the issue of trafficking in persons; to follow up on its implementation; and to prepare an annual report to be submitted annually to the Council of Ministers.

-         To prepare and draft legislation to combat the phenomenon of trafficking in persons; to cooperate with the specialized office of the United Nations and other concerned authorities; and to suggest measures to assist and protect the victims of this crime.

-         To suggest policies and programs, and guide research; to increase media awareness campaigns; to develop educational curricula, and build the capacity of criminal justice officials, other concerned authorities responsible for the implementation of the criminal justice system, and those in charge of the application of the provisions of the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons.

-         To prepare a central data banks in coordination with the Center of Criminal and Social Research and other research institutes.

-         To support the international judicial mechanisms of cooperation involved in criminal matters, and to review the relevant national legislation.

-         The committee shall have a specialized Secretariat responsible for the preparation of studies and research and the preparation of topics that will be submitted to this committee.  The committee shall take the necessary measures to implement its decisions and recommendations.  The committee may be assigned additional tasks and shall have a unit for documentation and data collection. 

-         The committee shall meet every month and shall forward its recommendations and suggestions through the Foreign Ministry to the Council of Ministers.

 

 

The decision to establish a national committee to combat trafficking in Egypt is significant because it reflects a political will on the part of the government to address this serious problem, which constitutes a gross violation of human rights and is a threat not only to State security, but to the security and dignity of human beings. 

 

In March 2004, Egypt ratified the United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons supplementing the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime.  Egypt has yet to comply with its international obligations under the Protocol, especially Article 5 thereof, which calls upon States to enact specific anti-trafficking legislation that criminalizes all forms of trafficking in persons.  I am encouraged by the proposed amendment to Article 7 of the 1996 Child Protection Law, which will recognize for the first time trafficking in children as a crime and provides serious penalties that may be doubled if the perpetrator of the crime is a parent, a guardian, or a caretaker. 

 

The proposed decision requires the preparation of an annual report to be submitted to the Council of Ministers.  This will establish a reporting mechanism that has been lacking in Egypt.  The National Council of Human Rights publishes an annual report on violations of human rights in Egypt.  Reporting by the National Council would also be a good idea so that the voices of both governmental and non-governmental organizations will be heard.

 

It is very interesting to note that the proposed decision includes a proposal to develop educational curricula on the subject of trafficking in persons.  On April 29, 2004, the Supreme Council of Universities made a decision to teach human rights in all universities and colleges.  Perhaps it is a good idea to introduce the topic of trafficking in persons in human rights courses that are currently being taught in Egyptian universities.

 

I am hopeful that the National Committee will engage a variety of government agencies in its work.  I am particularly referring to the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood and the National Council for Women because trafficking in persons is mainly a crime against our women and children.  It is also imperative that the National Committee consults with non-governmental organizations and civil society.  Non-governmental organizations, especially those dealing with women and children are allowed to function freely and openly in Egypt.  It is important for us to educate them on the issue of trafficking in persons as a violation of human rights so they include it in their human rights agenda.   We should also train the media on covering cases of trafficking in persons so that the public will be more informed on the issue.  

 

From July 3-5 2006 in Vienna, the United Nations drafted an Action Plan to combat smuggling of migrants and trafficking in persons in countries of the Middle East and North Africa.  I believe that the UN draft Action Plan may serve as a useful guide for the Committee in drafting an Egyptian action plan to combat trafficking in Egypt.   The Action Plan is comprehensive; it proposes significant measures not only to criminalize trafficking, but also to prevent factors that contribute to the trafficking infrastructure as well as the appropriate procedures to assist and protect victims of trafficking. I hope that the United Nations will officially declare the Action Plan in its upcoming November 27-29 conference that will be held in Vienna as a part of the United Nations Global Initiative to Combat Trafficking in Persons. 

 

I am also encouraged by the fact that the League of Arab States, in collaboration with The Protection Project at the Johns Hopkins University-School of Advanced International Studies, has agreed to hold a conference on October 28, 2007, to examine the status of anti-trafficking legislation in Arab countries in light of the model law to combat trafficking in persons that the Arab League has recently adopted. I hope this will further drive legislative reform in Egypt in this regard.

 

We need to further investigate the problem of trafficking in persons in Egypt.  Little information is available although there are many forms that may be classified as trafficking in persons and are addressed by the government under other labels.  Currently the government is paying special attention to the problems of street children, child labor, and child begging, which in many instances constitute trafficking in persons.  Many research institutions are particularly eligible to take part in this difficult task.  I am referring to the Suzanne Mubarak Regional Center for Women’s Health and Development, the Suzanne Mubarak Institute of Peace, and the Arab Reform Forum at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina.  I believe that Egyptian universities and colleges could also be a good source of research and data collection.

 

During the December 13, 2006 Conference on Women’s Issues in the Arab World that was held by the Library of Alexandria, I stated the following:

 

“Allow me to start with the remarkable statement made by Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak in her opening speech in the Athens Roundtable on the business community against the trafficking of human beings on January 23, 2006. Mrs. Mubarak called upon all of us to do something about the trafficking of human beings and I am quoting: ‘Not because this issue is just immoral, but because it is a crime against humanity. We would not wish it for all our children, for all our society, let alone those who cannot fend for themselves. We need to send a clear signal that this state of affairs will not be tolerated. It is our collective responsibility to act and end human trafficking now.’”

 

The July 11, 2007 decision establishing a National Committee is the beginning of this march against trafficking in persons.