The IOM missions in Afghanistan and Tajikistan this week hosted a meeting with civil society organizations from both countries to discuss ways to combat the problem of cross-border human trafficking.

The remoteness and inaccessibility of areas along the Tajik-Afghan border creates huge challenges for combating human trafficking.  Links between human trafficking and the drug trade also undermine cooperation between border communities, which could derive social and economic benefits from closer ties.

IOM invited ten leading NGOs from both countries to Kabul in order to strengthen ties and encourage an exchange of knowledge, experience and best practices. While NGOs are playing an increasingly important role in mobilizing campaigns and activities aimed at preventing trafficking, cross-border coordination and networking between them is still in its infancy.

“Coalition-building and networking within the civil society sector can lead to more effective advocacy, partnerships and exchange of best practices and information,” says IOM Afghanistan Programme Manager Natalia Macdonald.

Organizers hope that the event will lead to joint activities and programmes in border areas that will increase awareness about human trafficking among the local population and help NGOs better understand the situation.

“By meeting with their counterparts, participants have increased their knowledge of trafficking. This will allow them to rethink their counter-trafficking strategies, trainings and legislation in order to better protect those who are most vulnerable to the threat of being trafficked,” said IOM Tajikistan Senior Programme Assistant Bahrom Rahmatjonov.

Funding for the workshop was provided by the United Kingdom Conflict Pool Programme for Central Asia.

For further information, please contact Natalia Macdonald, IOM Kabul, Email: nmacdonald@iom.int or Tajma Kurt, IOM Dushanbe, Email: tkurt@iom.int