Chou Bun Eng, Secretary of State and Permanent Vice-Chair of the NCCT. Ministry of interior
The Cambodian government has sent a letter to the UN Network on Migration (Network) through the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Cambodia requesting recognition for Cambodia as a Champion Country for eliminating or reducing impacts on migrants and successfully implementing the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM).
Chou Bun Eng, secretary of state and permanent vice-chair of the National Committee for Counter Trafficking (NCCT), told The Post on February 2 that IOM has been pushing for recognition of Cambodia’s efforts to safeguard migrants and that they had encouraged the Cambodian government to become certified as a Champion Country by fully implementing the GCM agreement.
She said that the elimination or the reduction of impacts on migrants included taking steps to prevent human rights and dignity violations of migrants and combating human trafficking.
“IOM and the Cambodian government have been working together in this area and the IOM saw all the progress we’ve made and encouraged us to file for Champion Country status by sending an official letter to the UN, so we sent the letter on January 13 of this year,” she said.
Bun Eng added that in order to become listed as a Champion Country, the government has been making active efforts to fully implement the GCM and to start collecting data concerning human and migrant worker trafficking to share with countries and organisations that Cambodia partners with on these issues.
She noted that the members of the National Committee for Counter Trafficking of Cambodia throughout the capital and provinces had continued their anti-trafficking activities as planned despite the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
She went on to say that in order for anti-human trafficking efforts to be effective, all relevant parties have to adhere to certain principles such as giving an appropriate level of their available assistance to human-trafficking victims and through enforcement of the law.
“Cambodia is already facing increased unemployment due to factory closures and then the loss of jobs in Thailand due to Covid-19 led to 130,000 Cambodian migrant workers returning from Thailand last year.
“Human traffickers may view this situation as an opportunity to take advantage of jobless garment and migrant workers. So I think we will need the police to step-up enforcement measures this year to prevent a potential increase in trafficking,” said Bun Eng.
In a written statement, IOM expressed their admiration of Cambodia’s commitment to ensure migrant rights and prevent human trafficking.
IOM also singled out Bun Eng for praise by mentioning her close cooperation with their organisation and her dedication to ending human trafficking.
To close their statement, IOM thanked Prime Minister Hun Sen for his support of the GCM and lauded his decision to make Cambodia a Champion Country on these issues.
