WHILE the world is busy trying to contain Covid-19, other growing social challenges appear to have been shelved.
The ‘temporary neglect’ of them has created a fertile ground for criminal gangs to operate intensively and extensively.
Drug peddling, extortion and trafficking in people have become daily occurrences. Of late, the GCC countries have witnessed a rise in trafficking of women of various nationalities, promised a good job and fat salary, but ending up in the flesh trade. Our daily newspapers often report such news.
According to the recent Global Report on Human Trafficking in Persons compiled by the UN Office on Drugs and Crimes, which covered 155 countries, 79 per cent of trafficking is sexual exploitation, the victims being women and girls and surprisingly women make up the largest proportion of traffickers (30pc). Women trafficking women!
Another form of trafficking which is less detected is forced labour which makes up 18pc.
Bahrain has been leading, and continues to lead, in confronting this type of crime and other countries have benefited from its experiences.
It is for this very reason that Bahrain has remained at the Tier 1 ranking in the US Department of State Trafficking in Persons report for the last three years.
It has taken the case even further by proposing to establish a separate Prosecution Office specially designed to combat trafficking in people, ranging from training of staff to protecting the rights of victims in conformity with international standards and laws governing such crimes.
The attention Bahrain has given to the trafficking in people positions it as the first Arab country to do so and hope the other neighbouring countries gain lessons from its experiences.
That is the main reason behind selecting Bahrain as Secretary-General of the Government Forum against Trafficking in Persons in the Middle East, ‘Bahrain chosen for anti-trafficking role’ (GDN, October 21).
This prestigious position will enable Bahrain to share its experiences with fellow countries so the trafficking business is confronted on a wide scale and help bring to justice those criminal gangs, dry the illegal business and prevent young girls and women from becoming victims of the international crime syndicates.
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