Tunisia - The Tunisian Ministry of Justice and IOM are today (17/01) organizing a conference in Tunis on the promulgation of Organic Law No. 2016-61 of 3 August 2016 on the Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons. The conference will also highlight the progress made by Tunisia to date in the fight against human trafficking.

Law 2016-61 establishes an essential framework enabling Tunisia to prevent this crime of human trafficking, to punish trafficking networks and to protect victims, whether Tunisian or foreign. It meets all the international standards to which Tunisia committed, including the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children (Palermo Protocol), which Tunisia ratified in 2003.

During the conference, the contents of Law 2016-61, as well as the actions undertaken in Tunisia to prevent and combat trafficking and to assist victims will be presented by representatives of the Tunisian Government and civil society.

The conference will be opened by Minister of Justice Ghazi Jeribi and IOM Tunisia Chief of Mission Lorena Lando. Sixty participants, including government officials, parliamentarians, representatives of foreign embassies and consulates based in Tunisia, members of civil society and international organizations, as well as representatives of the academic and media will attend.

IOM has been supporting Tunisia in the fight against human trafficking since late 2011 with a number of specific projects. With a US State Department grant and IOM funding, it is providing training for magistrates, law enforcement actors and civil society.

It is also supporting the Ministry of Social Affairs in the creation of dedicated shelters for victims of trafficking, supporting a national awareness campaign and providing other direct assistance to victims.

For further information, please contact Helene Le Goff at IOM Tunisia, Tel. +216 71 860 312, Email: hlegoff@iom.int