Media CenterDepartment of State Program Gathers International Experts for Innovative Human Trafficking Solutions at CRS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Jossie Flor Sapunar
Catholic Relief Services
[email protected]
(410) 951-7341

BALTIMORE, MD, January 28, 2016 – Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is welcoming to its Baltimore headquarters a delegation of 24 experts from 24 countries, to help raise awareness of human trafficking and examine what can be done to combat this serious problem.

The government officials, attorneys, prosecutors and NGO representatives come to the United States through the International Visitor Leadership Program of the U.S. Department of State and are hosted by the World Trade Center Institute. During their three-day visit, they will examine U.S. local, national and international laws, and encourage policy improvements around important issues that affect an estimated 28.9 million human trafficking victims worldwide.

“For years, CRS has fought relentlessly to protect victims through anti-human trafficking programs and extensive advocacy work,” said Lucy Y. Steinitz, PhD, Senior Technical Advisor for Protection for CRS. “Through international cooperation efforts like this one, we can continue our positive results on this very important issue.”

The delegation is visiting to gain insight into innovative strategies used to protect, assist and provide social and economic reintegration services for survivors. Victims of human trafficking need support while rebuilding their lives in a new culture and assistance with healing from the trauma endured, including loss and/or separation from family. Child victims of trafficking, specifically, have additional needs and vulnerabilities, especially as they begin to rebuild their lives in their new communities.

The delegation will also explore CRS’ mission as a large faith-based humanitarian organization, how it operates and the current issues that CRS is working on. They will hear how in conjunction with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), which founded CRS in 1943, the agency is an international leader in advocacy and education to eradicate sex and labor trafficking.

Currently, CRS protection and anti-trafficking initiatives include 21 active projects that have served millions of people across the world since 2006. Programs are in countries like Nicaragua, Brazil, Sierra Leone and Kenya. Their objectives are wide-ranging and include efforts to successfully reintegrate sex trafficking survivors into society; reduce the incidence of trafficking in select communities by targeting key sources of child trafficking (including sex trafficking and child labor trafficking); and work with parents and communities in source areas to establish a safe enabling environment for survivors and the children of survivors to prevent trafficking.

“With the estimated global market value of human trafficking totaling $32 billion, we know that we cannot rest on our laurels and must continue to protect the vulnerable and support the survivors,” said Steinitz.

The delegation will tweet using #IVLP and from @WTCInstitute. 

International Visitor Leadership Program Participants

Argentina
Ms. Claudia BOYANOVSKY
Lawyer, Ministry of Security

Azerbaijan
Ms. Asima NASIRLI
Lawyer, “Azerbaijan Migration Center” Public Union

Estonia
Mr. Roman KROLOV
Coordinator, Victims of Human Trafficking

Ethiopia
Mr. Tilahun WOLDE
Administrator, Gamo Gofa Zone

Ghana
Ms. Yvonne ATAKORA OBUOBISA
Chief State Attorney, Ministry of Justice and Attorney General's Department

Iceland
Mr. Snorri BIRGISSON
Detective Inspector, Reykjavik Metropolitan Police

India
Mr. Nirnay John CHHETRI
General Secretary, Mankind in Action for Rural Growth (MARG)

Iraq
Mr. Amer AL MALIKI
Assistant Field Officer, UNHCR, Basrah

Israel
Mr. Liron SCHNAIDER LEVI
Supervisor, Population and Immigration Authority

Kazakhstan
Mr. Zhumazhan ZHOLDASBEKOV
Senior Program Assistant, International Organization for Migration

Kenya
Mrs. Evelyn ONUNGA
Senior Prosecution Counsel, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions

Latvia
Mr. Aivars OSTAPKO
Head Prosecutor, Office of Prosecutor General

Mauritius
Ms. Archanna KOTECHA
Head of Legal, Liberty Asia

Nepal
Ms. Sindhu SITAULA
Program Coordinator, Legal Aid and Consultancy Center (LACC)

Philippines
Ms. Karla CABEL
Assistant State Prosecutor, Department of Justice

Poland
Ms. Katarzyna CUADRAT‑GRZYBOWSKA, Ph.D.
Senior Policy Officer, European Commission Directorate-General for Home Affairs and Migration

Romania
Mr. Stefan COMAN
Project Manager, eLiberare NGO, Bucharest

Singapore
Ms. Peck Hoon TAM
Head (Advocacy & Awareness), Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics (HOME)

Solomon Islands
Mr. Christopher AKOSAWA
Chief Immigration Officer, Department of Immigration

South Africa
Mr. Nalandran MOODLEY
Captain, Durban Metro Police Services

Switzerland
Ms. Rebecca ANGELINI‑ZINGG
Head of Public Relations and Fundraising, FIZ Advocacy and Support for Migrant Women and Victims of Trafficking

Tajikistan
Mr. Bahrom RAHMATJONOV
Senior Program Assistant, International Organization for Migration (IOM)

Turkey
Mr. Omur CEYLAN
Chief of Foreigners Division, Istanbul Police Department, Turkish National Police

Vietnam
Ms. Phan Thi Thu HOA
Coordinator, Factory Awareness to Counter Human Trafficking (FACT), Pacific Links Foundation

Accompanied by:
Ms. Baradel “Bonnie” Beard
International Visitor Liaison

Ms. Ashley Hardaway
International Visitor Liaison

Ms. Natasha Metzger
International Visitor Liaison

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Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. The agency alleviates suffering and provides assistance to people in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality. CRS’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance and peacebuilding. For more information, please visit crs.org or crsespanol.org and follow CRS on social media: Facebook, @CatholicRelief, @CRSnews, YouTube, Instagram and Pinterest.