Vietnam is committed to implementing the Coordinated Mekong Ministerial Initiative against Human Trafficking (COMMIT), the country’s Deputy Minister of Public Security, Le Quy Vuong, has declared.

The minister was speaking at the 4th Inter-Ministerial Meeting (IMM4) on preventing and fighting human trafficking. He said that Vietnam will continue to enforce the COMMIT alongside its national programmes dedicated to the issue in the 2016-2020 period.

Vuong emphasised that the role of the United Nations organisations, especially the UN development programmes in the Asia-Pacific region, and the close cooperation among COMMIT countries with other nations in the region are vital to fighting against human trafficking and eradicating the crime.

He said the COMMIT countries should enhance cooperation mechanisms and information exchange to ensure that they can better work together and enact the initiatives efficiently and successfully.

At the IMM4, leaders of human trafficking agencies from six countries in the Greater Mekong Sub-region – Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and China - passed the regional plan of action during 2015-2018 with multilateral measures and cooperation.

They also agreed to step up supporting measures and effective social models to protect those who are vulnerable to abuse and human trafficking.

The IMM4 also reached a consensus on new ideas in building partnerships with the private sector and the media in the fight against human trafficking.

According to estimates of the International Labour Organisation, there are a total 20.9 million victims of forced labour and sexual abuse in the world, 11.4 million of whom are women and children. Of this figure, 5.5 million are victims of human trafficking.

The Greater Mekong Sub-region has one of the highest rates of human trafficking in the world.

VNA