Kuwait: Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), attended the sixth session of the Government Forum to Combat Trafficking in Persons in the Middle East, held in the State of Kuwait.
The event was also attended by Nasser Yousef Al Sumait, Minister of Justice of Kuwait, the League of Arab States, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and the United States Department of State.
Albudaiwi said that the forum has received regional and international recognition for the efforts of GCC countries. He highlighted that since its inception, the forum has contributed to shaping a convergent Gulf vision to combat human trafficking. He added that this vision reflects the economic and geographic specificities of GCC countries and the challenges they face, particularly in light of evolving tools and methods of this crime, including the use of modern technology and transnational organised crime networks.
The Secretary General reviewed the most prominent collective efforts and achievements by GCC countries in combating trafficking in persons. These include the adoption by the GCC Supreme Council at its 27th session in 2006 of the Abu Dhabi Document on the Unified Law to Prevent Human Trafficking in the GCC. The law aims to prevent and eliminate the abuse of human beings in all forms of exploitation.
He also noted the adoption by the Supreme Council at its 35th session in 2014 of the GCC Human Rights Declaration, which highlights in Article 3 that slavery, servitude, forced labour, and trafficking in persons in all forms and manifestations, particularly those affecting women and children, are prohibited.
All GCC countries have ratified the Palermo Protocol to Combat Trafficking in Persons, which serves as a solid and primary international legal and legislative framework in this field. In addition, the countries have enacted national laws criminalising trafficking and established clear mechanisms for victim protection and perpetrator prosecution.
Specialised national mechanisms have also been established. These include the creation of national committees and bodies, the provision of shelters, hotlines, and national referral systems to support potential victims, the training of security and judicial personnel, and the adoption of regulatory reforms in the labour market. Reforms have included the development of legislation governing expatriate workers, regulating the relationship between employers and workers, strengthening wage protection systems, and documenting employment contracts, all in a serious effort to reduce exploitation in the workplace.
Regional and international cooperation has also been enhanced through collaboration with organisations such as UNODC, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), and the International Labour Organisation (ILO), to implement joint preventive and awareness programmes.
He also referred to Resolution (Eighth-1) issued during the 10th meeting of the GCC Labour Ministers Committee. The resolution assigned the Executive Office of the GCC Councils of Labour and Social Affairs Ministers to update the joint Gulf vision to combat forced labour and trafficking in persons. This task is to be undertaken in coordination with a team of experts in labour and international relations, and guided by successful international and regional initiatives.
In support of this objective, the Secretary General announced that the Executive Office will organise a dialogue session on the sidelines of the Forum. This session will begin the first phase of updating the Gulf vision, which is expected to form a comprehensive strategic framework that addresses current challenges, keeps pace with labour market transformations and related technologies, and enhances protection and prevention efforts against trafficking in all its forms.
He stated that the progress made in GCC countries is a source of pride, but the scale of challenges and the evolution of crime patterns require increased efforts, deeper coordination, and sustained collective action. This is particularly important for crimes that cross borders or exploit vulnerable groups such as women, children, and migrants.
The GCC remains firmly committed to supporting all national, regional, and international efforts to eliminate this heinous crime and to achieve a just vision that preserves human dignity and safeguards freedom.
The Secretary General concluded by underscoring the GCC countries’ firm and ongoing commitment to combatting trafficking in persons in all its forms, developing legislative and regulatory frameworks, and enhancing regional and international cooperation. These efforts aim to ensure victim protection, the prosecution of offenders, and the consolidation of justice and human rights in society.
He emphasised that the GCC countries firmly believe that cooperation and the exchange of expertise are the most effective means of addressing this cross-border crime, and called for collective efforts towards a future free of exploitation and trafficking in persons.
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