Secretary Locsin Leads UN High-Level Meeting on Combatting Trafficking in Migration

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. and panelists at the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly. (New York PM photo)

NEW YORK 08 October 2019 — The Philippines highlighted its efforts in addressing human trafficking in migration, as it co-organized a high-level event together with Bahrain and Nigeria, entitled, “Combatting Trafficking in Migration Contexts: Best Practices, Challenges, and the Global Compact for Migration” held on 27 September 2019 at the sidelines of the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. delivered the opening statement, where he highlighted the Philippines’ whole-of-society approach: “We started by getting all agencies involved in the fight—foreign affairs, justice, social welfare, the military, the police, education, immigration, the Central Bank, and the local governments.”

Special Envoy of the Philippine President to UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Monica Prieto-Teodoro reinforced the call to action, stating that “we are all here because we are determined to eradicate child trafficking.”

Justice UndersecretarybEmmeline AglipayVillar emphasized the Philippines’ commitment to international solidarity in combatting child trafficking. “The Philippines stands ready, and stands with you all, in the fight against trafficking. Against a transnational scourge such as human trafficking, we will succeed together, or not at all,” she said.

As a result of the event, the Philippines shared many of its best practices and lessons learned in combatting human trafficking. The event also served as a useful platform to showcase to Member States and other stakeholders the concrete steps that the Philippines has taken to lead in the human trafficking agenda. END

For more information, visit https://www.newyorkpm.dfa.gov.ph,https://www.un.int/philippinesor https://www.facebook.com/PHMissionNY/.