A MEMORANDUM of understanding was signed last week between the National Centre for Criminological and Social Research (NCCSR) and the United Nations Human Rights Capacity Building Project (BENAA) for a one- year integrated study to assess the scope and prevalence of human trafficking in Egypt, reports Mohamed El-Sayed "The National Coordinating Committee to Combat and Prevent Trafficking in Persons is undertaking a study to assess the extent of the phenomenon in Egypt," says Wael Abul-Magd, director of the human rights administration at the Foreign Ministry. The study will cover all regions of the country and its results will be central to attempts by UN organisations to address the problem in cooperation with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). "Special focus will be placed on raising public awareness of human trafficking through a series of media campaigns," says Abdel-Meguid. "Human trafficking is a global phenomenon that affects virtually every country. It is a clear violation of human rights. Therefore, the United Nations is pleased to support the government of Egypt's efforts to better assess this problem and adopt corrective measures," read a statement issued by the UNDP Egypt Country Office. Egypt was criticised in the US State Department recent report on trafficking for failing to progress in advancing anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts over the last year. The report identified Egypt as "a transit country for women trafficked from Uzbekistan, Moldova, Ukraine, Russia, and other Eastern European countries to Israel for sexual exploitation; organised crime groups are involved in these movements". In an attempt to combat the growing problem in 2007 the government set up the National Coordinating Committee to Combat and Prevent Trafficking in Persons, headed by Naela Gabr, the assistant foreign minister for international organisations. Earlier this year, this committee requested the NCCSR to research the extent of human trafficking and applied for technical and financial support for this initiative from the UN. In September 2008, the National Coordinating Committee to Combat and Prevent Trafficking in Persons began drafting a comprehensive anti-trafficking law. Several UN organisations will cooperate with the NCCSR on its study into human trafficking trends in Egypt. Earlier this year the IOM collaborated with UNHCR, UNICEF, UNODC, UNDP, UNIFEM and UNFPA in a workshop chaired by Gabr to familiarise the research team with concepts relevant to human trafficking and to foster awareness on the nexus between migration, trafficking and migrant smuggling. In December 2008 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the IOM also organised the first Regional Expert Meeting on Rights-Based Assistance to Victims of Trafficking, held under the auspices of Mrs Suzanne Mubarak.
