PH, UAE sign deal vs human trafficking

THE Philippines and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Cooperation in Combating Human Trafficking on Thursday, September 26 in New York City, USA.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. and UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan signed the MOU at the sidelines of the 74th United Nations General Assembly.

Under the MOU, the Philippines and the UAE will adopt procedures to combat human trafficking, share best practices, exchange information, promote human rights, and provide assistance in the protection, rescue, repatriation, recovery, and rehabilitation of trafficking victims in accordance with domestic laws.

The signing of the MOU also seeks to strengthen the bilateral relations and cooperation between the Philippines and the UAE.

Both countries have ratified the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children (Palermo Protocol).

The Philippines as a country of origin has been at the forefront of the fight against human trafficking. By forging international cooperation and arrangements, the Philippines hopes to intensify the government’s efforts to help prevent and stamp out this global problem.

The UAE, meanwhile, is dependent on expatriate workers, with a significant number of them being Filipinos. It is the second top destination for overseas Filipino workers, after Saudi Arabia.

There are about 500,000 to 600,000 Filipinos in the Emirates, of which 60 percent are classified as professional, 25 percent are semiskilled and 15 percent are unskilled.