Egypt took part in the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the entry into force of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC), which was held in Palermo, Italy. The event was jointly organized by the Italian government and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Egypt was represented by Naila Gabr, the chairperson of the National Coordinating Committee for Combating and Preventing Illegal Migration and Trafficking in Persons (NCCPIM&TIP), who delivered a speech virtually.
Gabr said that Egypt was one of the first countries to warn about the seriousness of the crimes of human trafficking and smuggling of migrants and their negative impacts on the security and safety of individuals and societies. She highlighted the main efforts of the Egyptian state in this regard, such as aligning its national legislation with the UNTOC and its two additional protocols, as well as the Constitution of Egypt of 2014 and the law on combating trafficking in human beings and illegal migration and smuggling of migrants. She also mentioned the establishment of the NCCPIM&TIP under the presidency of the Cabinet to develop studies, policies, and programmes to support the Egyptian government’s efforts in this vital field.
Gabr stressed that Egypt has adopted a comprehensive national approach in dealing with the issues of legal migration and trafficking in human beings, based on coordination and cooperation between various concerned national authorities, to implement awareness-raising, training, development, and protection activities. She explained the vision of the Egyptian government that development is the main pillar to combat the phenomenon and that Egypt is working to put that vision into effect, in cooperation with relevant international organizations and bodies, to exchange best experiences and practices in the field of illegal migration and provide assistance to migrants and victims of trafficking in human beings.
