Kuwait City: Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jassim Albudaiwi emphasized the regional and international recognition received by the Governmental Forum to Combat Human Trafficking in the Middle East for the efforts of GCC countries. He highlighted that the forum has been instrumental in developing a unified GCC vision to combat human trafficking, considering the region's economic and geographic specifics and addressing the evolving challenges posed by modern technologies and transnational organized crime networks.
According to Saudi Press Agency, Albudaiwi made these remarks during his speech at the opening of the sixth Governmental Forum to Combat Human Trafficking in the Middle East for 2025, held in Kuwait. The event was attended by several high-profile figures, including the Minister of Justice of Kuwait, Counselor Nasser Al-Sumait, other ministers and senior representatives from member states, as well as delegates from the GCC Secretariat, the Arab League, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and the U.S. Department of State.
Albudaiwi underscored the implementation of national laws that criminalize human trafficking and establish clear mechanisms for victim protection and offender prosecution. Measures include forming national committees and agencies, setting up shelters, hotlines, national referral systems for potential victims, and providing specialized training for security and judicial personnel. He also mentioned regulatory reforms in labor markets through updated labor legislation and enhanced regional and international cooperation with organizations like UNODC, the International Organization for Migration, and the International Labor Organization to carry out joint preventive and awareness programs.
In his concluding remarks, Albudaiwi called for united efforts among countries to tackle shared challenges, improve coordination, and maintain collective action, especially in combating transnational crimes and protecting vulnerable groups such as women, children, and migrants. He reiterated the GCC's unwavering commitment to fighting human trafficking in all its forms, advancing legislative and regulatory frameworks, and boosting regional and international cooperation to ensure victim protection, offender accountability, and the promotion of justice and human rights.