IOM and the Sri Lankan government have launched a USD 500,000,
US-funded programme to help law enforcement officials to identify
cases of human trafficking and successfully prosecute those
responsible.

The programme, co-funded by the US Department of State and US
Agency for International Development (USAID), will train 500 law
enforcement and government officials in improved data collection
and dissemination methods, and enhance coordination between
government agencies and NGOs.

"Before Sri Lanka can make significant progress in identifying
those responsible and hold them accountable for trafficking
practices, it must have a clearer understanding of how and where
these practices are taking place," said US Ambassador to Sri Lanka
Robert Blake.

"A better trained network of law enforcement professionals can
establish legal grounds under which instigators of trafficking can
be identified and prosecuted under the law.  This programme
promises to help in that effort," he noted.

"There is a real need for all stakeholders, government
authorities and organizations working on this issue to come
together and share information in order to combat human trafficking
more effectively," said IOM Sri Lanka Chief of Mission Mohamed
Abdiker.

"This programme will assist us in filling the gaps in knowledge
to help us more vigorously identify and prosecute perpetrators of
human trafficking." said A.R. Waidyalankara, Director of Sri
Lanka's Bureau for Protection of Women and Children.

The programme will also help the government to develop a
national policy to combat trafficking; support the training of 50
trainers to raise awareness in the law enforcement community; and
create a database to help track cases of trafficking.

For more information, please contact:

Passanna Gunasekera

IOM Sri Lanka

Tel: +94 5333 432. Ext. 213

E-mail: "mailto:pgunasekera@iomsrilanka.org">pgunasekera@iomsrilanka.org