Kazakhstan launches project on human trafficking countering
The implementation of the three-year project which is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Cooperation has been launched in all five countries of the Central Asian region. First the program was launched in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan joined it in October. As for Kyrgyzstan, the country will start to work on it in October 2009.
The project provides for organization of seven large regional events with the participation of more than 100 representatives of NGOs of Central Asian countries. 16 regional centers of Kazakhstan will hold trainings on upgrading awareness in human trafficking among graduates of universities, street children and unemployed population. The NGOs and employers will be involved in this project too. Work on safe return to motherland, rehabilitation and reintegration of the victims of slavery will be continued.
"We do not have exact statistics in human trafficking. But as a result of a research conducted in Central Asia we concluded that over 1.5 mln people of the region are at risk and may become victims of labor and sexual slavery", Sub-regional manager of the IOM Bermet Moldabayeva says.