Ulaanbaatar, June 9, 2017 — The Asia Foundation, in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs, announced the start of a new project today entitled “Improving Victim-Centered Investigations and Prosecutions of Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Cases in Mongolia.” This project will be implemented for two years in close partnership and coordination with the Government of Mongolia to support its recently approved National Plan to Combat Trafficking in Persons. The project is generously supported by the U.S. Department of State.
Opening today’s event were Jennifer Zimdahl Galt, Ambassador of the United States of America to Mongolia; Enkhbayar Battumur, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs; and Meloney C. Lindberg, Country Representative of The Asia Foundation.
“I am proud that funding from the U.S. Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons made this project possible,” Ambassador Galt said in her remarks, noting the United States has been and remains a strong supporter of Mongolia’s efforts to fight human trafficking.
The project will work with law enforcement officials throughout Mongolia to build skills and capacity to adhere to international best practices on victim-centered investigations and prosecutions of TIP cases in Mongolia. The project will focus on two areas. The first will be to enhance the use of victim-centered strategies and cooperation among law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges; the second will be to improve TIP victim identification and response by border protection officers and immigration officials. The project will accomplish these objectives through several interrelated activities that include research; the development of training programs; joint trainings for law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges; and trainings for border protection officers and immigration officials throughout the country.
The project team and partners aim to conduct the trainings nationwide to reach more than 500 law enforcement officers, prosecutors, judges, border protection officers, and immigration officials. In addition, training seminars will be conducted for current and future law enforcement cadets to provide them with a basic understanding of TIP. It is envisioned that this project will result in improved coordination among law enforcement, more effective use of victim-centered approaches, and an increase in prosecutions of TIP-related cases.
