Human trafficking is a global phenomenon with serious consequences on human security, human rights and the rule of law, especially in an increasingly globalized society, where crime is becoming more sophisticated and criminals more organized. The weakest and most vulnerable victims are more likely to fall prey to human traffickers who use tactics to deceive, intimidate and win the trust of their victims. Women are particularly susceptible of becoming victims of prostitution and sexual exploitation.

The North Africa and Sahel regions have become a transit route, as well as a destination for many people wishing to flee their countries.  Security threats in the region, instability, weak institutions or wide, porous borders have posed challenges to North Africa and Sahel countries which encourages the illicit trafficking in, among others, human beings. 

As part of its mandate to improve knowledge and capacity on human trafficking in North Africa and the Sahel regions, the Cairo Center for Conflict Resolution & Peacekeeping in Africa (CCCPA) plans to organize four trainings on the topic.  The center’s target is to train those who are most likely to encounter victims of human trafficking – middle-rank border officers from 8 North Africa and Sahel countries with military and police backgrounds as well as judiciaries and diplomats who are in a good position to help victims and deal with criminals.

The first of this series will take place from 31 August to 3 September 2014 in Cairo, Egypt in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and with the expertise of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).  The training will allow participants to explore different types of human trafficking, international and national frameworks on trafficking in persons, indicators of victims and traffickers, steps for investigating cases of trafficking and tactics for communicating with the victim.

The Cairo Center for Conflict Resolution & Peacekeeping in Africa (CCCPA) was founded in 1994 by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to support African countries in their quest to achieve continental peace and security and has since become a Center of Excellence mandated to train the African Standby Force (ASF).  On the national front, CCCPA, in close collaboration with the Ministries of Defense and Interior, is responsible for the pre-deployment training of peacekeeping forces deployed to Peace Support Operations.

CCCPA offers integrated training programs targeting the military, police and civilian components of Peacekeeping missions, in addition to relevant civil society groups, such as NGOs, parliamentarians, diplomats, media representatives, etc. The programs offered by the Center are multidimensional, can be tailored to fit specific needs and are offered to all relevant stakeholders across Africa.