ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT 2015 Annual Progress Report 2015 CONTENTS List of Acronyms i Executive Summary ii Introduction 1 • Human Trafficking in the Greater Mekong Sub-region 3 • Overview of the four Outputs of UN-ACT 5 Achievements 7 • Outcome: Key anti-trafficking stakeholders in the region are working in a cooperative and mutually supportive manner to effectively combat trafficking in persons 7 • Output 1: The COMMIT Process is strengthened to become sustainable and self reliant 8 Activity Result 1.1: COMMIT accountability and transparency enhanced 8 Activity Result 1.2: Sufficient technical and functional capacities developed by governments 9 Activity Result 1.3: Effective implementation of SPA IV 10 • Output 2: COMMIT countries increase their cooperation with other countries and regional actors to effectively counter human trafficking 12 Activity Result 2.1: Joint anti-trafficking efforts of COMMIT countries with key destination countries elsewhere increased 12 Activity result 2.2: Institutionalized engagement between COMMIT and ASEAN 12 Activity Result 2.3: Coordination and cooperation among relevant regional actors for anti-trafficking increased 13 • Output 3: Policy makers, academia, non-state actors and the public have increased access to evidence- based research and knowledge on human trafficking 14 Activity Result 3.1: Evidence-base for anti-trafficking interventions enhanced and accessible 14 Activity Result 3.2: Strategic dissemination and advocacy on research findings to influence policy and programming strengthened 15 • Output 4: Civil society and other non-governmental actors are able to contribute more effectively to anti- trafficking efforts 18 Activity Result 4.1: Increased engagement between government and civil society 18 Activity Result 4.2: Civil society has increased and sustained capacity to support victims of trafficking 18 Activity Result 4.3: Increased engagement by private sector 20 Cross-Cutting issues 21 • Gender 21 • Human Rights-Based Approach 21 Constraints in Implementation: Improving UN-ACT Project Performance through Learning and Reflections 22 The Way Forward 23 Annex 1: Indicator Table 25 Annex 2: Overview of Expenditures in 2015 29 Annex 3: UN-ACT Risk Assessment Framework 30 LIST OF ACRONYMS AAPTIP Australia–Asia Program to Combat Trafficking in Persons AAT Alliance Anti Traffic ACTIP ASEAN Convention Against Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children AICHR ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights ASEAN Association of Southeast Asian Nations Bali Process Bali Process on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime BCC Behavioral Change Communication CCPCR Cambodian Center for the Protection of Child Rights COMMIT Coordinated Mekong Ministerial Initiative Against Trafficking CSO Civil Society Organization CSP Civil Society Platform CYF COMMIT Youth Forum GAATW Global Alliance Against Trafficking in Women GMS Greater Mekong Sub-region HTWG Human Trafficking Working Group IAWG Inter-Agency Working Group on Counter Trafficking in Persons ICAT Inter-Agency Coordination Group Against Trafficking in Persons ICT Information and Communication Technology ILO International Labour Organization IMM Inter-Ministerial Meeting IOM International Organization for Migration Lao PDR Lao People’s Democratic Republic LPN Labour Rights Promotion Network M&E Monitoring and Evaluation MoU Memorandum of Understanding NGO Non-Governmental Organization NPA National Plans of Action NRM National Referral Mechanism PoA Plan of Action RMO Regional Management Office SDG Sustainable Development Goal SeaCAT Southeast Asia Coordination Group Against Trafficking in Persons SOM Senior Officials Meeting SOMTC Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime SOP Standard Operating Procedure SPA Sub-regional Plan of Action TF Taskforce TIP Trafficking in Persons ToT Training of Trainers TWG Technical Working Group UN United Nations UN-ACT United Nations Action for Cooperation Against Trafficking in Persons UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNIAP United Nations Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking UNICEF United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees UNODC United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime VFI Village Focus International VIJUSAP Viet Nam Justice Support Association for the Poor WV World Vision i Annual Progress Report 2015 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY he United Nations Action for Cooperation against from ASEAN and Malaysia also contributed to SOM10/ TTrafficking in Persons (UN-ACT) is a regional project IMM4, and Malaysia signed a bilateral Memorandum of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), of Understanding on Combating Transnational Crime launched in 2014, to counter human trafficking in the with Viet Nam, which includes sections on trafficking Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) and beyond. UN- in persons. UN-ACT also increased engagement with ACT is the only United Nations project in the sub-region Indonesia by providing technical support to several dealing comprehensively with human trafficking. It is conferences related to human trafficking, people positioned at the strategic intersection of governance, smuggling and irregular migration, and by supporting policy, research, coordination and direct interventions. the repatriation of trafficked persons from Indonesian islands. UN-ACT provides technical, coordination and financial support to the Coordinated Mekong Ministerial Initiative Furthermore, UN-ACT continued to increase access Against Trafficking (COMMIT), an inter-governmental to evidence-based data on human trafficking by body that brings together the six countries in the GMS conducting and supporting research initiatives, in in a joint effort to counter human trafficking. Ongoing accordance with the UN-ACT Research Strategy. efforts aim at building national capacities for a more Examples of reports undertaken in 2015 include: regular sustainable process, with COMMIT-related functions labour migration channels from Lao PDR to Thailand; being fully integrated into the countries’ own systems forced marriage cases between Cambodia and China; and procedures. In 2015, China, Thailand and Viet Nam datasheets on human trafficking in the GMS; mapping increased their financial commitments and managed of referral mechanisms in China as well as of existing to implement efforts to fight human trafficking more facilities and services provided to trafficking survivors effectively. in Viet Nam. UN-ACT’s regional level support to COMMIT in 2015 A small-grants fund was rolled out in 2015, providing focused on the finalization of the fourth Sub-regional support to four civil society organizations (CSOs) Plan of Action (SPA IV); the organization of the 10th Senior in four different countries. In addition to providing Officials Meeting/4th Inter Ministerial Meeting (SOM10/ financial resources for direct victim support, the IMM4) held in Cambodia including to adopt SPA IV; the project developed the CSOs’ capacity in results-based development of a COMMIT capacity assessment and management and monitoring and evaluation. UN-ACT development strategy, which provides a baseline for also supported capacity building initiatives in anti- SPA IV implementation; and the establishment of the human trafficking for youth, media actors and the COMMIT Youth Forum and the Civil Society Platform to private sector. COMMIT. UN-ACT increased its collaboration with the private The purpose of UN-ACT is to create an environment sector in 2015 by: co-organizing a regional conference on where key stakeholders in the region are working in a the role of Information and Communication Technology more cooperative and mutually supportive manner. (ICT) in combating human trafficking with Microsoft and The UN-ACT-led regional network, for example, other partners; facilitating dialogue between pro bono convenes more than 20 agencies and organizations law firms and anti-trafficking NGOs towards increased with counter-trafficking programming on a quarterly collaboration through PILNet’s Asia Pro Bono Forum; basis, and has become a key platform for regional anti- providing technical support to a workshop on the trafficking coordination and collaboration efforts. Over prevention of forced labour in the fishing industry held the reporting period, the regional network meetings in Thailand; and facilitating a Training of Trainers (ToT) have helped partners share experiences and expertise on pre-departure orientation for migrant workers with in advocacy, research, and monitoring and evaluation, recruitment agencies in Cambodia. as well as identify synergies and joint programming opportunities. UN-ACT also contributed to COMMIT’s increased level of collaboration with other countries and regional actors. COMMIT and ASEAN have strengthened their cooperation in 2015 by developing a set of joint indicators of human trafficking and related forms of exploitation at a regional workshop in Malaysia. Representatives ii INTRODUCTION 20.9 MILLION persons Trafficking in persons Over 50% of those in One of the world’s largest globally are in forced is an estimated US$150 forced labour are in the CRIMINAL INDUSTRIES labour, according to ILO BILLION industry Asia-Pacific region estimates Figure 1. Human Trafficking and Forced Labour in Numbers he United Nations Action for Cooperation Against the consultations showed that despite considerable TTrafficking in Persons (UN-ACT), a regional project of progress, including greater recognition of the severity the United Nations Development