Al Harthy was speaking before the United Nations General Assembly’s dialogue on collective action against human trafficking on Wednesday.
He said the GCC justice ministers had approved in December 2006 a unified law prohibiting human trafficking and the same month the GCC supreme council endorsed in Riyadh according to the Abu Dhabi document on combating human trafficking. He said the GCC member states joined the protocol preventing human trafficking and the agreements to end all types of discrimination against women and child abuse.
He said authorities concerned in the GCC states adopted a strict policy of punishing perpetrators based on Islamic teachings and traditions which categorically oppose human trafficking. “The GCC states also enacted laws regulating the employers and employees relationship and outlawing recruiting children for camel racing”. These laws, he said, were part of modern state building legislations promulgated by the member countries.
He called for international concerted efforts to tackle the problem of trafficking in humans. He noted the GCC states put in place mechanism for direct co-ordination with labour-exporting countries to ensure respect for workers rights and prevent their exploitation, adding that success has been achieved in this respect. He said GCC members are among countries that offer best service terms for migrant worker in the world and co-ordinate closely with the UN organisations and human rights advocates to fight the phenomenon.
