Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Human trafficking remains one of the most acute and complex global issues, affecting many regions, including Central Asia. In 2024, this problem continues to be pressing and demands attention from the international community, governments, and civil society.

On 30 July, an international conference titled "Strengthening National and International Partnerships in Combating Human Trafficking" was held in Kyrgyzstan’s capital. The event brought together key experts on human trafficking from Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, as well as representatives from government and law enforcement agencies, public and international organizations, donors, and embassies.

The conference was organized in accordance with the Bukhara Declaration and aims to deepen regional cooperation in combating human trafficking.

"We welcome the Kyrgyz Republic’s efforts to combat human trafficking. We will continue to work closely with the government to enhance its capacity to investigate and prosecute human trafficking crimes, improve training for law enforcement personnel on trafficking issues, increase funding and support for victim assistance services, and strengthen the capacity to identify and refer victims of forced labor. This conference is an excellent opportunity to enhance cooperation on this issue and share best practices in combating human trafficking," said Leslie Vigue, U.S. Ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic.

Reda Sirgediene, UNODC Regional Advisor for Central Asia on human trafficking and migrant smuggling, emphasized the importance of parallel and mirror investigations in fighting human trafficking, as well as the need to strengthen preventive measures aimed at preventing trafficking and protecting vulnerable groups. Reda noted that there is ongoing sustainable work on key projects across the region — all five Central Asian countries are actively implementing international standards and best practices, which contributes to more effective regional efforts against human trafficking.

The international conference in Bishkek focused on developing national strategies, international cooperation, protecting the rights of human trafficking victims, effective crime prevention methods, discussing the implementation of the Bukhara Declaration, and strengthening partnerships in this area. It also addressed the exchange and development of practices for combating human trafficking at borders. An important aspect is also further development of child protection measures, highlighted in light of the 2024 World Day Against Trafficking in Persons theme — "Leave No Child Behind in the Fight Against Human Trafficking."

"Leave No Child Behind in the Fight Against Human Trafficking," the theme for this year’s World Day, calls us to ensure effective measures to protect children from trafficking threats and all forms of exploitation," said Arslan Nasirov, Head of the Main Investigation Department of the General Prosecutor’s Office of Turkmenistan.

Madina Sariyeva, International Program Manager at UNODC’s Regional Office for Central Asia, emphasized the importance of preventive measures and victim support in ensuring safety and combating human trafficking. An important target audience in this work is youth, who need to be actively engaged to lay the foundation for long-term changes in public consciousness and raise awareness about the problem.

Human trafficking is a serious rights violation, involving the exploitation of victims for forced labor, sexual violence, and other forms of exploitation. The growing use of digital platforms further exposes children to the risk of trafficking. Alarmingly, one in three trafficking victims worldwide is a child, facing increased risks of violence. Identifying and protecting them is hindered by insufficient reporting and lack of resources. More advanced systems are needed to support victims and hold traffickers accountable.

"Efforts to combat human trafficking should focus on preventive work with vulnerable populations, as it is better to prevent a problem than to treat it," said Shukurullohon Faizullakhonov, Senior Specialist of the Human Trafficking Department at the Organized Crime Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Uzbekistan.

Conference participants discussed current challenges and opportunities in combating human trafficking, exchanged experiences, best practices, and proposals.

At the end of the session, key priority areas for developing effective measures and joint strategies to strengthen regional actions in this field were identified.

"In today’s world, human trafficking crimes are transnational and cross-border in nature, which necessitates enhancing legal cooperation between law enforcement agencies of states for effective combat. I believe that today’s meeting and this platform will be a significant step in our collective fight against human trafficking," said Meder Dastanbekov, Country Coordinator for Kyrgyzstan at USAID/Winrock International’s "Safe Migration in Central Asia" project.

The conference was held in a panel session format with group discussions on July 30, 2024. On July 31, international participants visited the Center for Employment of Citizens Abroad to develop partnerships between law enforcement agencies and non-governmental organizations for safe labor migration.

The conference demonstrated a unified commitment to combating human trafficking, providing important recommendations and strategies for further strengthening partnerships and protecting victims’ rights. These efforts will contribute not only to the effective implementation of existing programs and initiatives but also to creating new mechanisms for regional and international cooperation, ultimately enabling a more effective response to this global challenge and ensuring a safer future for the most vulnerable populations.

On 25-26 November 2021, an international conference titled "Strengthening National and International Partnerships in Combating Human Trafficking," known as the Bukhara Conference, was held in Bukhara, Uzbekistan. During the Bukhara Conference, delegates emphasized the need for expanded regional cooperation to address human trafficking issues more effectively and called for actions to develop the Bukhara Declaration on strengthening partnerships in the fight against human trafficking. One of the initiatives defined in the Bukhara Declaration was the organization of annual conferences for law enforcement and civil society organizations from Central Asian countries, timed to coincide with World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. Conferences are held sequentially — in Uzbekistan in 2022, Kazakhstan in 2023, Kyrgyzstan in 2024, with subsequent sessions planned for Tajikistan in 2025 and Turkmenistan in 2026.