In partnership with the European Union and the United Nations, Libya launched the “Dismantling Human Trafficking and Migrant Criminal Networks in North Africa,” regional programme, according to a statement by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
The project is funded by the European Union, through the EU Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF), and is being implemented by UNODC. It aims to strengthen the capacities of the Libyan authorities in preventing all forms of organized crime, including human trafficking and migrant smuggling.
According to the statement, the programme is fully in line with the EU’s New Pact on Migration and Asylum, which puts forward the need to promote tailor-made and mutually beneficial partnerships with third countries.
The €15 million Euro regional umbrella programme supports Libya, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia in countering criminal networks involved in migrant smuggling, and human trafficking.
UNODC is a key partner of the EU in this endeavour, working closely with the Government of Libya. UNODC is the guardian of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) and its supplementing Protocols, to which Libya is a state party,
The Libya project will focus on improving the detection and interception capacities of front-line officers and agencies, including health and social workers. As well as building the skills and knowledge of law enforcement agencies; jointly reviewing the legal framework; and strengthening the skills of criminal justice practitioners in cases of migrant smuggling and human trafficking, with an emphasis on regional and international cooperation.
The programme follows a human rights-based approach in line with the EU’s do-no-harm policy, and international human rights commitments.