PH ratifies Asean agreement on human trafficking

ASEAN Secretary General Le Luong Minh and Permanent Representative of the Philippines to ASEAN Ambassador Elizabeth P. Buensuceso. PHOTO from DFA website

The Philippines has ratified the The Convention against Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children (ACTIP).

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the Instrument of Ratification of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Convention was submitted to the Secretary General on February 7, making the Philippines the sixth member state to ratify the agreement.

It will enter into force 30 days after the submission.

The ACTIP recognizes that human trafficking is a violation of human rights and “an offense to the dignity of human beings.” The Asean action plan on trafficking seeks to strengthen border control among member states, intensify efforts to prosecute trafficking cases, and strengthen regional cooperation.

Ambassador Elizabeth P. Buensuceso, permanent representative of the Philippines to the Asean, reportedly told Secretary General Le Luong Minh that President Rodrigo Duterte “places high importance to the fight against trafficking in persons.” This was something that the president mentioned during the Philippines’ launch of its Asean chairmanship last month.

“Ambassador Buensuceso stressed that the ratification of the ACTIP is included in the ‘dream list’ of deliverables during the Philippine Chairmanship of Asean this year,” the DFA said.

The ACTIP will be implemented alongside the Asean Plan of Action against Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children.

“As trafficking in persons requires multi-sectoral collaboration, the relevant Asean Sectoral Bodies and Organs are currently discussing measures to coordinate cross-cutting efforts in implementing the ACTIP and APA on both national and regional levels,” the DFA said.

It added that the Philippines led the discussions and helped facilitate the signing of the ACTIP as the “lead shepherd” for the issue within the Asean Senior Officials/Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime. CBB

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