News | 9 April 2022 | 12:00
A regional conference on “How to Combat Illicit Financial Proceeds from Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling: Priorities and Challenges” begins today in Sharm el-Sheikh.
Sharm El Sheikh, Arab Republic of Egypt – September 4, 2022
A regional conference on “How to Combat Illicit Financial Proceeds from Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling: Priorities and Challenges” begins today in Sharm el-Sheikh. The conference is organized by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Middle East and North Africa Regional Office (ROMENA) in collaboration with the Egyptian Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Force and supported by the Kingdom of the Netherlands . The conference included more than 70 representatives from relevant law enforcement, financial intelligence units (FIUs), prosecutors, judicial and financial sectors from Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia, as well as regional experts and Guest speakers will participate. and international organizations.The meeting will take place from 4th to 6th September 2022.
Judge Ahmed Saeed Khalil, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Egypt’s Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Unit, said at the opening of the conference: These groups receive monetary benefits as a result of such crimes, the value of which varies depending on the state of smuggling or the crime involved. Human trafficking takes many forms, including child and human trafficking for the purpose of forced marriage, human trafficking for forced labor, and human trafficking for organ harvesting. It should be noted that human trafficking is one of the most profitable organized crimes and its activities generate billions of dollars in real profits. So criminals always hide these profits by misusing bank accounts, setting up shell companies, buying real estate, precious metals, and luxury cars. and other means. ”
“The crime of human trafficking and immigration smuggling is one of the most profitable crimes, generating billions in illicit financial profits each year. and financial institutions, but also financial intelligence agencies, the judiciary, prosecutors, law enforcement agencies, and national commissions, bringing together key stakeholders from different sectors to enhance cooperation and information-sharing to effectively address these issues. Ms Christina Albertin, Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, UNODC, affirmed.
For his part, Han-Maurits Schaapveld, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Egypt, affirmed: It reflects his trilateral commitment to tackling the phenomenon of human trafficking and migrant smuggling. We have seen numerous expert trainings on multiple topics from different bodies in different jurisdictions. These trainings not only develop the officer’s tactical abilities, but they also raise the level of public awareness about the importance of confronting these two crimes and related money laundering. ”
The regional conference will be held within the framework of the Kingdom of the Netherlands-funded project “Strengthening financial investigative capacity to combat money laundering resulting from trafficking in persons and migrant smuggling (TIP/SOM)”. The three days will include a concrete exchange of knowledge and expertise and sessions on the importance of financial investigation as a strong line of investigation in human trafficking and immigration smuggling cases. They also address the value of collective efforts from various institutions in financial research and insights into emerging payment methods and technologies. These deliberations lead to a series of recommendations to support relevant actions by future participating Member States.
For more information, please contact:
UNODC Romena
MS. Nermin Abdelhamid
Communications and Visibility Officer
Email: nermine.abdelhamid@un.org
Dutch Embassy in Egypt
MS. Sally Bartham
public relations diplomat
Email: sally.barsoum@minbuza.nl
