9 August 2022 – In support of the ASEAN Commission on the Protection and Promotion of Women and Children (ACWC) efforts to strengthen regional capacity to identify and protect victims of trafficking, ASEAN-USAID PROSPECT, the ASEAN-Australia Counter Trafficking (ASEAN-ACT) Program, and the NEXUS Institute partnered to co-host a Thematic Dialogue on challenges in identifying victims of trafficking who are encountered as offenders.

This Thematic Dialogue, presented by Marika McAdam, focused on challenges in identifying trafficking victims who are encountered in the context of their having violated laws, and offered strategies for how to overcome challenges to identifying trafficking victims in such situations. The dialogue offered an opportunity to discuss the importance of the non-punishment principle in the identification of victims of trafficking. The dialogue was attended by 22 practitioners from government institutions and civil society organizations, representing eight ASEAN Member States. The dialogue brief can be accessed here.

This was the first Thematic Dialogue in a series being organized by ASEAN-USAID PROSPECT as an issue-oriented forum for practitioners involved with trafficking victim protection across ASEAN Member States. The series aligns with the thematic areas of the ACWC Regional Procedures and Guidelines to Address the Needs of Victims of TIP.

The Thematic Dialogue series will provide opportunities for a range of practitioners from across ASEAN to engage in highly-targeted discussions on common issues or challenges in the effective protection of trafficking victims and to explore solutions and strategies to manage or overcome these challenges. Learn more about the Thematic Dialogue series here.