Federal Law 51 (2006)


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Treats human trafficking as part of organized crime
Criminal prosecution for offenders
Penalties range from six months to life in prison
Financial fines from about 100,000 to one million dirhams

National Committee to Combat
Human Trafficking


NCCHT established in 2007.

Supports and implements Federal Law 51
Acts as a coordinating body at federal and local levels

Committee first had 12 members – now increased to 20

Members from various ministries, police, judiciary and NGOs

Cases/Traffickers/Victims (2013)
Emirate
ABU DHABI
DUBAI
SHARJAH
AJMAN
TOTAL
Cases
3
8
6
2
19
Traffickers Victims
9 5
26 10
11
4
50
7
2
24

Case history
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
10
20
43
58
-
37
47
19
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Convictions (2007-2013)
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
5
2007
6
2008
35
2009
5
19
2010 2011
31
2012
12
2013

National Strategy

‘Five Ps’ strategy – shift from four-pillar strategy o
Prevention o
Prosecution o
Punishment o
Protection o
Promotion (of international cooperation)

PUBLIC AWARENESS

PUBLIC AWARENESS

Victim protection

Five holistic shelters for victims

Dubai Foundation for Women and Children – established in 2007

Under the umbrella of the UAE Red Crescent Authority, Ewa’a –
Shelter for Women and Children , Abu Dhabi, opened in 2008

Two more shelters opened in Sharjah & Ras Al Khaimah in 2010

Male shelter opened in January 2013 to help prospective victims

PROMOTION (of international cooperation)





May 2007 – ratified the United Nations Convention Against
Transnational Organized Crime (2000)
Ratified the United Nations Protocol to prevent, suppress and punish trafficking in persons, especially women and children
( Palermo Protocol )
Signed agreements with several labour-exporting countries to regulate the flow of workforce
Part of the 20-member Group of Friends United Against
Human Trafficking
2013 – formal member of the Bali Process and its Ad Hoc
Group to address human trafficking

PROMOTION (of international cooperation)






Donated $15 million to support the UN.GIFT
Signed the Declaration on the Global Efforts to Combat
Trafficking in Persons in New York 2011
Collaboration with the International Training Centre of the
Republic of Belarus
Cooperation with IOM, ILO and UNODC
Part of Arab strategy to build national capacity to combat human trafficking
UN Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children, visiting UAE

Dissemination of information
Annual report evolution
2008 report
50 pages
2013-2014 report
115 pages www.nccht.gov.ae

Challenges


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Majority of UAE’s workforce is made up of foreigners
Better coordination between worker-sending and worker receiving countries
Labour versus sexual exploitation
Responsibility of private sector
Private-public sector cooperation

Conclusion




The UAE admits existence of the problem in the country, like many others in the world
Government is committed to cooperating with the international community to check human trafficking
Action plan to counter human trafficking has yielded results
Realizes it needs to do more, and is keen to intensify its efforts.