JAKARTA, April 23 (NNN-Bernama) — Security and enforcement agencies in ASEAN need to be ready to face evolving trends in transnational criminal activities during the post-COVID-19 period, especially in the fight against human trafficking.
Chairman of ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime (SOMTC), Awang Sufian Sabtu said ASEAN will continue to give its steadfast support to both regional and international efforts to combat Trafficking in Persons (TIP).
“SOMTC needs to adopt the learnings and experiences from the COVID-19 pandemic into future plans and work programmes, such as the ASEAN-Australia Counter-Trafficking Work Plan 2020-2023 and the SOMTC Work Programme which is currently being reviewed under Brunei Darussalam’s Chairmanship of SOMTC,” he said.
Awang Suffian said this in his closing remarks at the ASEAN SOMTC Workshop Consultation on the ASEAN Australia Counter-Trafficking Work Plan 2020-2023. The session was held virtually at the International Convention Centre, Berakas, Brunei on last Tuesday.
This consultation workshop is a platform for ASEAN Member States to discuss initiatives planned under the ASEAN-Australia Counter-Trafficking Work Plan 2020-2023 that is aimed to support the implementation of the ASEAN Convention Against Trafficking in Persons.
— NNN-BERNAMA