The event was attended by Foreign Minister Celinda Sosa; the head of the office of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Argentina, Gabriela Fernández, and the operational director of the Committee to Combat Trafficking in Persons, Gustavo Vera.
After thanking the other nations for their support for Bolivia to lead the platform with the task of consolidating this structure and articulating the work of the ten States Parties, Sosa reiterated that they will act together and effectively against this global crime.
He paraphrased President Luis Arce, who warned that fighting these cross-border crimes would be “complicated” if the region did not unify, and called for a “civilizational change to build a better world.”
The minister also announced that the Department of Foreign Affairs will begin using the Consular Assistance Protocol to assist victims of human trafficking and smuggling in March.
For his part, Lima presented the work agenda that Bolivia will face at the helm of the platform established in July 2023.
These tasks include the consolidation of this regional structure with the aim of coordinating support between countries through the technical secretariat.
She also considered a regulatory framework necessary to take into account the weakest and most vulnerable victims of human trafficking and smuggling.
The Minister of Justice recalled that Bolivia can become a link between the member countries of the Andean Community (CAN) and the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) to define common actions.
“The platform is an important tool for the implementation of political measures to combat these crimes, which leave a deep mark not only on the victims and those closest to them, but also on our society,” he said.
Lima believed that “we must all get involved in the fight against this serious crime.”
According to the head of the IOM in Argentina, 63 percent of victims of human trafficking are women and girls, and the most common modality is forced labor and sexual exploitation.
The Regional Platform to Combat Human Trafficking and Illegal Migrant Smuggling is a space for cooperation and coordination composed of Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela.
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