On the occasion of World Trafficking Day, the vice chair of of Saudi Arabia’s National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking, Sarah Al-Tamimi, has just been nominated by the UN Office in Drugs and Crime (UNODC) for her work in awareness against human trafficking in the Kingdom.
The UNODC opted to focus this year on the people behind the stringent fight against human trafficking around the world. From the Gulf, Al-Tamimim was the only person to be chosen to represent the Kingdom and the region.
We in the Kingdom are continuing the fight against #HumanTrafficking by working with international partners, implementing new laws, and introducing necessary regulatory reforms to ensure no human life will be subject to trafficking. @HRCSaudi_EN#UnitedAgainstTrafficking_KSA https://t.co/kF7xnWf9ti
— Reema Bandar Al-Saud (@rbalsaud) July 28, 2020
“Enhancing quality of life for all is a key pillar of Vision 2030, which is a goal we also strive for at the committee,” Al-Tamimi said, according to Arab News.
Her nomination comes after Saudi Arabia progressed in its ranking in the Trafficking in Persons Report by the U.S State Department. The country moved from the ‘tier 3’ to the ‘tier 2 watch list’ in the most comprehensive analysis of anti-trafficking efforts report. The next goal on the line is for the Kingdom to reach the ‘tier 1’ list.
We are proud to launch today our physical and digital anti-trafficking art gallery.
— The National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking (@NccTsa_en) July 23, 2020
Each day, we will feature local artists who were asked to paint or draw what the crime of trafficking means to them.
Together #UnitedAgainstTrafficking_KSA #ArtAgainstTrafficking. pic.twitter.com/1Uu6Tb42N7
“Human trafficking is a crime that knows no borders, therefore neither can we who fight it,” said Al-Tamimi. “Combatting human trafficking, therefore, requires the participation of a variety of international and local actors that goes far beyond the public sector and operates in many areas –ranging from cyberspace to private-sector supply chains.
The new report showed that Saudi Arabia “significantly increased” the number of prosecutions and convictions under the Kingdom’s anti-trafficking laws.https://t.co/Avom1Sx67I
— About Her (@AboutHerOFCL) June 27, 2020
In February, Al-Tamimi joined the National Referral Mechanism committee, which launched a month later, as vice chair. The Saudi trailblazer supervises training programs with partners at the UNODC and the International Organization for Migration and coordinates protection responses for victims and potential victims of trafficking.
“The most vulnerable are the ones who are most likely to be victims,” she added.