IOM releases Online Course on Human Trafficking for Consular Staff

 
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• The course is available in Spanish on IOM learning platform E-Campus. It is free and provides a certificate of achievement upon completion. 

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has developed a new virtual course on human trafficking, based on the Regional Conference on Migration (RCM)’s “Human Trafficking Manual for Consulates and Ministries and Secretariats of Foreign Affairs of Central America and Mexico”. 

The objective of this course is to build the abilities and capacities of the staff of Consulates and Ministries of Foreign Affairs regarding what human trafficking is, techniques for identifying potential victims, and assistance and protection mechanisms that can be implemented by Consulates and Ministries of Foreign Affairs. It likewise provides information on international laws on human trafficking, along with other content.   

In 2012, a pair of Costa Ricans were detained in an airport in Israel. When the consul of Costa Rica in Israel visited them, he was able to identify it as a potential case of human trafficking, and carried out all the procedures to investigate and assist the potential victims. His actions resulted in the first conviction for human trafficking for the purpose of organ removal in Central America. This case is an example of how consular staff can play a fundamental role in the fight against human trafficking.  

Human trafficking is estimated to be one of the most lucrative criminal activities today. Because human trafficking networks operate transnationally, the fight against this crime must involve the efforts of different sectors of society at a global level. 

“Capacity-building with governments is one of the principal purposes of IOM’s Regional Migration Program, and so courses like this are meant to provide training while raising awareness about migration-related phenomena, such as the crime of human trafficking,” explained María Suárez, human trafficking specialist with the Program.  

The course is designed for self-study, is free, takes approximately 4 hours, and is part of the E-Campus educational catalog, IOM’s virtual migration learning platform. The platform has thousands of students all over the world, it offers over 20 courses on migration-related topics, such as labor migration, vulnerable populations, migration and women, migration and LGBTI people, and more.   

This course is available on E-Campus beginning January 25. For more information, contact Alexandra Bonnie at abonnie@iom.int