good news iran: Iran reiterates its commitment to fight Trafficking in Persons

He made the remarks before the General Assembly on “The High-Level Meeting of the General Assembly for the Appraisal of the United Nations Global Plan of Action against Trafficking in Persons”.

Here is the full text of Majid Takht Ravanchi’s statement:

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.

Mr. President,

My delegation would like to express its appreciations to you and the Secretariat for organizing this high-level meeting. The deliberations here are instrumental in addressing challenges in the implementation of the Global Plan of Action against Trafficking in Persons (TIP) and finding ways to tackle them.

Mr. President,

Trafficking in persons is undeniably one of the most notorious crimes. To form a collective response to this menace, the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crimes (UNTOC) and its protocols have attempted to create a coherent cross-border regulatory environment. As one of the earliest signatories to the UNTOC, the Islamic Republic of Iran has taken the necessary steps in line with the provisions of the Convention and the protocols thereto to combat human trafficking. In this regard, the UNTOC has been approved by our Parliament in 2018 and is now under consideration by the Expediency Council for its final approval.

At the national level, several statutory regulations concerning TIP as well as other necessary legal tools for investigation and prosecution within our legal system are in place. To complement our efforts, the Government has also approved a new draft bill amending the Countering Human Trafficking Act of 2004 and submitted it to the Parliament for adoption. This draft bill focuses on the definition of TIP, including all of its essential elements, as a notorious crime, while covering aggravating circumstances such as commission against minors and women. Needless to say, such harmony would eventually contribute to international cooperation on the issue.

Enjoying a set of executive and supervisory measures, the Commission on Countering Trafficking in Person has been established by the Ministry of Interior to, inter alia, develop policies, strategies and programmes while monitoring any activities related to TIP.

On the front line, our law enforcement personnel continue to bravely fight organized criminal groups despite the unavailability of necessary means and resources resulting from unlawful U.S. sanctions and in the absence of much needed international support to fight these groups efficiently.

Mr. President,

The Islamic Republic of Iran reiterates its commitment to fight TIP and considers the role of the United Nations bodies, specifically the UNODC, in determining and facilitating international cooperation in this regard essential. We call on the international community to provide tailor-made, accessible and effective technical assistance to countries to combat this crime in a more efficient manner.

Thank you, Mr. President.

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