Deputy Prime Minister Trần Lưu Quang speaking at the launch ceremony for a campaign against human trafficking on Tuesday in Lào Cai. VNA/VNS Photo Hồng Ninh

LÀO CAI - Deputy Prime Minister Trần Lưu Quang emphasised the necessity of strengthening management efforts and proactively providing assistance and employment opportunities to prevent women and children from being exploited or lured into criminal activities, or becoming victims of human trafficking.

Quang's statement, on Tuesday, was made in Lào Cai City, where the Ministry of Public Security, the Việt Nam Women's Union, in coordination with the Lào Cai Provincial People's Committee, organised a launch ceremony for a campaign to combat human trafficking on what was the 2024 National Day against Human Trafficking.

Also in attendance were Hà Thị Nga, President of the Việt Nam Women's Union, Lieutenant General Nguyễn Văn Long, Deputy Minister of Public Security and Deputy Head of the 138/CP Steering Committee, along with leaders of various ministries, local authorities, representatives of international organisations in Việt Nam and a large number of citizens.

Since 2013, the United Nations has designated July 30 annually as World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. On May 10, 2016, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 793/QĐ-TTg, making July 30 the National Day Against Human Trafficking.

With the theme 'Leave No Child Behind in the Fight Against Human Trafficking' this year's event aims to reaffirm the commitment of the Government and people of Việt Nam to preventing human trafficking, especially child trafficking.

Park Mi-hyung, Head of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) delegation in Việt Nam, said that the theme of the 2024 World Day highlights the importance of comprehensive and focused efforts to protect children, addressing risks and vulnerabilities, enhancing resilience and safeguarding children.

Human trafficking remains one of the most profitable criminal activities, targeting the vulnerability of individuals. Therefore, it is essential to continue to work together to equip knowledge, skills, and strengthen solidarity in this fight.

The latest Global Report on Trafficking in Persons by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has highlighted a grim reality, that one in three trafficking victims worldwide is a child.

Children are subjected to various forms of trafficking, including labour exploitation, forced criminality or begging, illegal adoption, sexual exploitation and online sexual abuse.

In Việt Nam, in the first six months of 2024, authorities detected and handled 50 human trafficking cases involving 126 victims and 121 children were victimised in 48 trafficking cases, said Hà Thị Nga, President of the Việt Nam Women's Union.

Criminals exploited legal loopholes in marriage counselling, foreign marriage brokerage, tourism and family visits or took advantage of social media platforms, user connections, anonymity and information security to lure and deceive victims.

These actions directly violated the fundamental human rights, including those of women and children, inflicting profound pain on many families and causing social instability.

As the organisation representing and protecting the legitimate rights and interests of women and children, the Việt Nam Women's Union prioritises the care, education and protection of children, through the role of mothers and families with activities such as parenting skills education, mutual economic development support and implementing government programmes and projects to support women's economic development and family building, according to Nga.

Recently, the organisation's 'Mother Mentors' programme has provided care and support for children in especially difficult circumstances to create the best conditions for their academic and life achievements.

Practical actions necessary

Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Quang said that human trafficking was recognised by the United Nations as one of the four most dangerous crimes in the world, with many victims being children, women and minors.

"Recognising the danger of this crime, Việt Nam is committed to mobilising the combined strength of the entire political system and the public, with international friends' support, in the war against human trafficking," he said.

In recent years, the Party and State adopted many consistent and comprehensive policies on preventing and combating human trafficking. The Government has developed and implemented the Programme on Combating Human Trafficking for 2021-2025, with an orientation to 2030.

The Deputy Prime Minister noted that in the future, the situation of human trafficking globally and in Việt Nam would remain complex, with children continuing to be the main targets of traffickers.

In this context, it was necessary to regard the prevention and combat of human trafficking as a key, ongoing task, carried out persistently everywhere and at all times, emphasised the Deputy Prime Minister.

Anti-trafficking efforts needed to be integrated into socio-economic development programmes, childcare, education and protection, addressing fundamental social security and stability issues and promoting the role of mass organisations in protecting women and children, especially in remote areas.

Additionally, it was necessary to enhance communication, counselling, and guidance, replicate good initiatives and models with appropriate forms for each region and group and focus on sharing information, experience and skills to help children, women and vulnerable people identify and protect themselves and their loved ones, preventing criminal exploitation.

Quang urged media agencies to increase the frequency and innovate communication to encourage every citizen to actively participate in preventing, fighting and reporting human trafficking.

He called for early detection and prevention of human trafficking risks from the grassroots level, decisive implementation of crime prevention plans and swift investigation and prosecution of traffickers.

Furthermore, it was crucial to enhance management, proactively assist, educate, support, and provide employment opportunities to prevent children, women and those in difficult circumstances from being exploited or becoming victims of human trafficking.

The Deputy Prime Minister directed a review and completion of legal documents on combating human trafficking and supporting victims, particularly policies for children in special difficult circumstances, ethnic minority children and orphans along with effective implementation of victim reception and support activities.

At the same time, he called for stronger inter-agency coordination and international cooperation, especially in information exchange, investigation verification and criminal pursuit, to improve the effectiveness of preventing and combating human trafficking, particularly child trafficking. VNS