Sukabumi/West Java - The International Organization for Migration (IOM) Indonesia, in cooperation with Sukabumi Regency Government through the Office of Women’s Empowerment and Childs Protection (DP3A), has organized a regency level of Anti-Trafficking Task Force (ATTF) Coordination Meeting in Sukabumi Regency. In addition, the dissemination of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) on Integrated Services of the Victim of Trafficking is part of IOM’s effort to support the Government of Indonesia to prevent and eradicate trafficking in person (TIP) through the Increasing Efforts to Prosecute People Trafficking and Protection of Victims of Trafficking in Persons (AMPUH) project.

On January 19th, 2022, the one-day event was attended by 36 members of the Sukabumi ATTF representing various government institutions, including non-governmental organizations. This in-person activity was conducted with strict health protocols measures to prevent COVID-19 transmission.

The purpose of the coordination meeting, as stated by the National Program Officer for the Counter-Trafficking, Labour Mobility and Human Development unit of IOM Indonesia, Rizki Inderawansyah, was to disseminate the newly issued Minister of Women Empowerment and Children Protection Regulation No. 8 of 2021 concerning the Standard Operational Procedures for Integrated Services for Witnesses and/or Victims of the Crime of Trafficking in Persons.

In addition, the coordination meeting was convened to facilitate the Sukabumi ATTF in evaluating and preparing the annual work program for preventing and handling TIP and preparing the process of adopting the SOP in Sukabumi Regency.

At the opening session, Rizki conveyed, “In an increasingly exacerbated situation by the COVID-19 pandemic, the efforts of the ATTF and various parties in ensuring the victims of TIP can enjoy access to justice, comprehensive and gender-sensitive services are crucial for improvement. Thus, this SOP is relevant to prevent victims from re-victimization and as an effort to eliminate TIP in Indonesia”.

Ms Ratna Susianawati, Deputy for Women’s Rights Protection Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection, also mentioned that the effort to prevent violence against women and children, including the victim of trafficking (VOT), must be synergized among government agencies and civil society. The disseminated SOP guided one of the initiatives to protect victims’ rights. “Basic services must be provided with a victim-oriented principle so that victims feel protected and do not feel discriminated, not to mention the service providers must also deliver empathetic services”, she added. Moreover, she said regarding the Sukabumi contexts, ”The efforts to prevent and handle TIP in Sukabumi Regency are going well. The Sukabumi Regency’s ATTF effort in taking TIP can serve as an example for other regions”.

Meanwhile, Mr Marwan Hamami, Regent Sukabumi, accompanied by Ms Hj Yani Jatnika Marwan, Head of Integrated Service Center for Women and Children Empowerment (P2TP2A), appreciated IOM Indonesia in facilitating the Sukabumi Regency ATTF to convene the coordination meeting and also expressed his gratitude to overall IOM support to Sukabumi Regency ATTF in responding to the TIP situation in Sukabumi Regency. He also conveyed that many women and minors work overseas through the non-procedural channel; therefore, they are vulnerable to becoming victims of trafficking. “Every year, cases of TIP in Sukabumi have occurred and been increasing. So that, efforts to protect VOT through this SOP needed to be done collaboratively by the office, district and village level including lowest level in neighbour or community level (RT/RW)”, he said. 

During the coordination meeting, participants were enthusiastic and actively involved in the discussion. They conveyed their insights and suggestions and raised important questions during the session. For example, Mr Hamdani from the Office of Education shared his concerns that traffickers were using social media. This was about a case in which a child victim was trafficked via social media; therefore, it is also essential to disseminate the safe use of social media to schools. While Ms Jejen Nurjanah from the Indonesian Migrant Workers Union shared her challenge of handling TIP’s cases, “Cases that were followed up by the law enforcement agencies were only a few of the TIP identified cases. Hopefully, the number of prosecuted and investigated cases are increasing, so the mastermind of the crime can be punished”.

In the final schedule of the event, Mr Eki Radiana Rizki, Head of the Sukabumi DP3A office, presented the evaluation of Sukabumi Regency ATTF, “Data in Sukabumi Regency from 2017 to 2021 recorded that there were 135 female victims of TIP”. In addition, the data showed that 16 were child victims and 119 were adult victims. Some protection efforts have been implemented; however, ATTF members faced challenges during the provision of assistance and protection of the VOTs. The challenges mentioned mainly concern the coordination process during the TIP response implementation and law enforcement results. In this regard, the meeting concluded the urgency of regular meetings among Sukabumi Regency ATTF members to socialize and update the TIP situation covering prevention, protection, and prosecution effort in the Sukabumi Regency.

The cooperation and collaboration among members of the Sukabumi Regency ATTF should be strengthened and improved. Furthermore, engaging with the non-governmental organizations and survivors of TIP is an essential part of advancing the efforts to prevent, eliminate and handle TIP cases, as well as to provide a comprehensive and sensitive gender service for witnesses and/or victims of TIP.

About IOM in Indonesia

Founded in 1951, the International Organization for Migration (IOM)-UN Migration is a leading intergovernmental organization dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. This is done by advancing understanding of the issue of migration, assisting the government in dealing with migration challenges, encouraging social and economic development through migration, and upholding the dignity and well-being of migrants, their families, and their communities. For more information about IOM in Indonesia, please kindly visit https://indonesia.iom.int/

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