The Maldives cabinet has approved the national action plan on anti-human trafficking compiled and presented by the National Anti-Human Trafficking Steering Committee.
According to the cabinet and the committee itself, the new national action plan to combat human trafficking will become effective on 30 March 2020.
The National Anti-Human Trafficking Steering Committee, at the chair of Ministry of Defense formulated the action plan with the assistance of several experts and consultants; both foreign and local in order to ensure fast-track countering against human trafficking in Maldives.
The new national action plan, due until 31 December 2022 includes several key actions and steps the Maldives government and relevant institutions will be taking to ensure effective combatting against human trafficking.
These include;
- Conducting a baseline study to assess the spread and magnitude of human trafficking in Maldives
- Amending the definition of human trafficking in the Maldivian Act on the issue in accordance to UN's TIP Protocol
- Amendment on the Anti-Human Trafficking Act to ensure improvement of the Steering Committee
- Establishment of a TIP office for the Steering Committee
- Introduction of a hotline to report human trafficking cases; to report suspects as well as possible victims of human trafficking
The action plan will also become instrumental in the initiation of awareness camps and programs for institutions and authorities affiliated in combatting human trafficking.
