Cyprus remains committed in the fight against human trafficking, both on a national and international level, said Ambassador Kornelios Korneliou, the Permanent Representative of Cyprus to the UN.
He was addressing an event last Tuesday at UN headquarters, organized by the Permanent Missions of Republic of Cyprus, Qatar and the EU to the United Nations, in cooperation with Women in UN, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the European Commission.
According to an announcement, circulated by PIO, the event aimed at contributing to the dialogue to prevent human trafficking, particularly of women and girls, through the implementation of the United Nations Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons.
In his opening remarks, Korneliou said that human trafficking is a grave human rights violation and a shameful crime against human dignity.
A strong international legal framework is an integral part of eliminating human trafficking, therefore the Republic of Cyprus ratified all international conventions in relation to human trafficking, he added.
Ambassador Korneliou also noted that Cyprus’ strong commitment to prevent human trafficking is reflected in the move by the United States to upgrade the country to Tier 1 in their 2018 Trafficking in Persons report.
Dr Myria Vassiliadou, the EU Anti-Trafficking Coordinator, also addressed the event, noting that human trafficking is yielding huge profits, a fact which explains the emergence of this form of crime everywhere in the world.
Josie Christodoulou, Policy Coordinator at the Mediterranean Institute of Gender Studies referred to the establishment of a dedicated police unit in Cyprus to prevent human trafficking and protect victims, while Kalliope Migirou from UN Women underlined the role of education.
Other speakers in the event included the Permanent Representative of Qatar Alya Ahmed Saif Al Thani, the Ambassador of the EU to the UN João Vale Almeida and UNODC Director John Brandolino.