Interior minister Sar Kheng meets with Sarah Lou Arriola, president of IOM’s Asia-Pacific region, in Phnom Penh on May 3. MOI
Minister of Interior Sar Kheng met with Sarah Lou Arriola, president of the Asia-Pacific region for International Organisation for Migration (IOM) late last week, with the pair expressed their commitment to continued cooperation against human trafficking and border control measures that would protect and rescue trafficking victims.
During the meeting, Sar Kheng thanked the IOM for the support it provides to Cambodia in the field of migration. He also praised its excellent cooperation with Cambodian government institutions, especially the Ministry of Interior.
He expressed his confidence that the relationship between the IOM and the ministry would continue to grow.
Arriola offered her congratulations to the Kingdom for recently being awarded the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM country). In Asia, only six countries have qualified for the GCM.
“The IOM appreciates the efforts that Cambodia has made in order to receive this honour,” she said.
She praised the interior ministry’s leadership for their role in the fight against human trafficking, as well as the national strategic plan they have laid out.
She also offered plaudits to the Cambodian immigration authority, singling them out for particular praise for their excellent cooperation with the IOM, and for the close attention they paid to performing their duties on the Kingdom’s borders.
“The careful checking of passports and other related tasks are some of the most important tools we have in the fight against trafficking,” she said.
She briefed the minister on the excellent progress made by the Philippines’ anti-trafficking task force, and said she hoped to share their experience with all of the ASEAN members, including Cambodia.
“The fight against human trafficking requires close cooperation, especially in the Mekong region which has so many contiguous borders,” she warned.
Sar Kheng concurred with Arriola, agreeing that combating human trafficking and rescuing its victims remained a priority task. He also briefed her several other related matters that the Kingdom is focussed on.
“The minister informed Arriola that Cambodia was recently removed from the FATF grey list, thanks to its sterling work to reduce money laundering crimes. Money laundering and human trafficking are closely related transnational crimes,” said a ministry statement.
Cambodia is currently preparing to finalise a National Plan for the Implementation of the Global Convention on Safe and orderly migration (GCM), which was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2018.
