GAATW reports back from United Nations transnational organised crime conference
Last week, GAATW’s International Advocacy Officer and representatives from several GAATW member organisations participated in the seventh session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) and the Protocols Thereto.
GAATW has been following the discussions on a possible review mechanism to the UNTOC and its Protocols since 2008 when states at the fourth session of the COP acknowledged that it was difficult to measure progress made in their implementation of these treaties without an effective monitoring mechanism. We view it as a necessary and overdue step towards accountability for anti-trafficking initiatives. However, at the sixth session of the COP in 2012, States were unable to agree terms for such a process. On 8 October 2014, GAATW delivered a statement to the plenary emphasising the importance of a review mechanism civil society participation in that process.
On 14-16 November 2014, Asia Pacific civil society organisations will gather in Bangkok, Thailand, to develop a collective strategy on the priority issues for the Asia Pacific region as part of the Beijing +20 review process. Registration is now open and application forms to attend and to organise workshops at the forum are online. The deadline for applications is Friday 3 October.