Zambia remains a source for women and children trafficking.

................ as Law Enforcement Officers Train to Implement Counter Trafficking Law By John Chola Lusaka, Zambia - February 10, 2012 Zambia has continued being used as a source, transit and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labour and sex trafficking across the world. This is despite Zambia having enacted its first anti human trafficking legislation four years ago. According to the US State Department’s 2011 Trafficking in Persons Report, albeit Zambia enactment the 2008 anti-trafficking law, its implementation has been challenging. IOM Zambia Chief of Mission Andrew Choga says his organisation is committed to supporting the government in the implementation of the law. He was speaking when IOM conducted a training of trainers (ToT) for law enforcement officers in Zambia, using a newly developed handbook on the country’s 2008 Anti-Human Trafficking Act.

The five-day training, held at the National Police Training College in the capital Lusaka was designed to provide participants with the necessary skills to train other law enforcement officers on how to implement Zambia’s anti-human trafficking law. Choga says the course focused on the need for sensitivity in dealing with victims of human trafficking. Eighteen law enforcement officers from the Zambia Police, the Department of Immigration and the Ministry of Home Affairs Research and Planning Unit (HARID) received the training. The training handbook was developed by IOM in close coordination with the Law Enforcement Expert Group, composed of law enforcement officers from the Zambian Ministry of Home Affairs and other relevant institutions, brought together specifically for this purpose. The handbook includes chapters on the definition of trafficking in persons, victim identification and treatment, human trafficking investigation, as well as case studies and practical exercises. The trained officers will in turn train 100 additional officers across the country, with support from IOM. Ends......////