The aviation industry is an essential partner of the private sector in ensuring large-scale protection of those living in vulnerable situations.
Thanks to the agreement, it will be possible to train 150 agents from CESAC, the National Police, Politur, the General Directorate of Migration, and the IDAC.
Santo Domingo, DR – Aeropuertos Dominicanos Siglo XXI (AERODOM), International Justice Mission (IJM) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) through its TRACK4TIP initiative began activities with the different security agencies at airports to strengthen the response capacity and define a protocol to standardize the registration, reporting and prosecution of human trafficking cases detected specifically in air terminals.
The agreement, promoted by AERODOM, International Justice Mission (IJM) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), was signed by the Specialized Airport and Civil Aviation Security Corps (CESAC), National Police (PN), Tourist Police (POLITUR), General Directorate of Migration (DGM) and the Dominican Civil Aviation Institute (IDAC).
Thanks to him, about 150 agents of the different entities that make life at airports will be receiving specific training to recognize the signs of trafficking, defining additional protocols to address such situations.
“Aviation connects the world, transporting billions of passengers every year. Unfortunately, this global network is also used by traffickers to transport people against their will. That is why we at AERODOM are paying attention to this situation to do everything in our power to eliminate it,” said Mónika Infante, CEO of AERODOM.
Alliances and coordinated actions are a fundamental part of the efforts to combat human trafficking at a global level. “UNODC, through the TRACK4TIP initiative, is pleased to be part of partnerships of this nature that seek to strengthen actions at the national level to improve the criminal justice response to human trafficking cases and continue our work together to uphold fundamental human rights.”
IJM believes in strengthening the public justice system through key actors and actions from the public and private sector, as expressed by Mr. Pehkx Jones, associate director of research and strengthening of justice agencies. He also expressed that, “with this agreement we pursue concrete actions to sensitize, raise awareness and take steps to eradicate commercial sexual exploitation of children and human trafficking in the Dominican Republic”.
Human trafficking is internationally recognized as one of the most serious crimes, representing serious violations of human rights. In this, people benefit from situations of vulnerability to control and exploit others. Perpetrators achieve this through the use of various means such as force, fraud and/or coercion (controlling someone through threats) to obtain the consent of a person who has authority over another, leading to exploitation.
The first step in combating human trafficking is learning to spot warning signs, and air transportation industry employees have a critical role to play in this task. Airport staff will be completing human trafficking identification, profiling and trending training as a vital first line of defense in the effort to prevent this crime.
Human trafficking is considered one of the most lucrative and fastest growing crimes in the world and the second most profitable illegal industry in the world, second only to drug trafficking.
