Survivors of Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation Deserve Better Care

Phnom Penh – With cases of abuse and low standards of care being reported at various rehabilitation centres, the government is concerned and has recognized the need for proper regulations and guidance to help solve this issue. Working to support victims of trafficking and sexual exploitation, World Vision, together with Cambodian government and other like-minded NGOs, have finally finished the development of the Minimum Standards on Residential Care for Victims of Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation. The official launch of the minimum standards on residential care is to disseminate the guideline and to officially enforce its implementation.

With length of 20 pages, the minimum standards on residential care serves as a guideline that sets criteria for rehabilitation centres established in Cambodia to follow.

Those criteria include:

• size of building
• location of the center
• environment
• rehabilitation activities
• vocational trainings

Mr. Jason Evans, National Director of World Vision, says that this minimum standard will allow government officials across the country to work closely with rehabilitation centres in creating a safe, secure, and protected environment for victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation.

“Once survivors of abuse and exploitation receive proper care at a rehabilitation center, we can be confident that they will reintegrate with greater success back into their community,” says Mr. Evans, adding that regular inspections should be carried out to ensure that those centers continue to fully comply.

His Excellency Khiev Borey, the Secretary of State for the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation (MoSAVY), says that the establishment of these minimum standards is one of MoSAVY’s responses to some rehabilitation centres that fail to protect or provide adequate care to survivors of trafficking and sexual exploitation.

“Having been involved in many discussions and having received recommendations from many NGOs, we have now achieved this minimum standard. We hope this standard will play an important role in rehabilitating the survivors of trafficking and exploitation, in addition to the existing protection laws on human trafficking, and to lift up the quality of care across Cambodia,” says His Excellency.

According to a 2013 Trafficking in Persons Report, Cambodia still ranks in Tier 2 Watchlist, the same rank as it was in the report 3 years ago. The report cites an increase in the number of Cambodians being trafficked onto Thai fishing trawlers, a drop in the prosecution of traffickers, and persistent complicity in the illicit trade among government officials. 

The event was held at 9 am at Sunway Hotel: #1, Street 92, Sangkat Wat Phnom, Phnom Penh and cooperated by MoSAVY, UN-ACT, and Winrock International. 

For media inquiries, please contact:
Channpheaktra Hong
Public Relations Officer, World Vision International
Tel: (855) 012 672 732 Email: channpheaktra_hong@wvi.org

Notes to Editor:

World Vision’s End Trafficking in Persons (ETIP) Programme is an anti-trafficking project working across 6 countries, 30 districts and 210 communities in the Greater Mekong Sub-region. The promotion of safe migration is one of the major focus areas of the ETIP Programme, along with other areas of focus. In Cambodia, World Vision works to protect victims and most vulnerable people in source, transit, and destination locations.

World Vision’s End Trafficking in Persons (ETIP) categorizes three pillars of work against trafficking in persons and also contributing to the promotion of labor migration condition.

Prevention Pillar:

- Community Prevention System: We empower the community to initially carry out prevention as well as reporting activities when they encounter the case of trafficking. We also create children club where children and youth can learn about how to protect themselves from trafficking and share it to other friends, villagers to be aware of safe migrations.
- Migrants Protection: We coordinate in assisting migrants to stay safe in source, transit and migrating destination.   

Protection Pillar:

- Victim Identification: support capacity of law enforcement agencies and multi-disciplinary partners to carry out investigations and identify victims.
- Repatriation and Reintegration Mechanisms: support government in repatriating trafficking survivors to their own country quickly and safely as well as assist trafficking survivors so they are able to fully recover from their experiences and live healthy and productive lives.

Policy Pillar

- Dialogue between Youth and Government: Through youth forum and other advocacy events, community members, children and youth, and trafficking survivors can directly talk to the government officials so that the government can make decisions based on what is really happening to those directly affected.
- Dialogue between Stakeholders and Government: Cooperate with many anti-trafficking organizations to suggest new ways to combat trafficking to government leaders. We also support the implementation of national plan of action of the government via National Committee to Lead Suppression of Human Trafficking, Smuggling, Labor and Sexual Exploitation.