Photo by RET

Article by RET Panama

PANAMA CITY, PANAMA – RET International participated in the National Meeting against Trafficking in Persons, organized by the National Commission Against Trafficking in Persons, led by the Ministry of Public Security (MINSEG) with the accompaniment of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), on July 30 and 31 in the Hemicycle of the Latin American and Caribbean Parliament.

As one of the five organizations selected to be part of the Civil Society Panel called “Strengths and challenges of civil society participation in the prevention and fight against Human Trafficking and attention to victims”, moderated by the United Nations Agency – UN Women.

Photos by RET

RET presented its comprehensive and territorialized approach to prevent, identify and respond to the risks of human trafficking and smuggling, especially in contexts of human mobility. RET highlighted its actions in Panama that include community prevention and awareness campaigns, psychosocial care and psychosocial support in emergencies, case management, and the promotion of livelihoods and educational access as tools for structural protection.

“Our work is based on a permanent presence in the most vulnerable areas, a trained multisectoral team and strong partnerships with State institutions, UN agencies, local authorities and communities,” said Leonarda De Gracia, RET Programme Coordinator in Panama.

RET warned of persistent challenges such as the stigmatization and criminalization of migrants, continuous training and awareness of actors in the territories; as well as the limited sustainability of some interventions due to the dependence on short-term financing. In view of this, the organization recommended strengthening inter-institutional protection routes, diversifying resources, promoting public awareness campaigns and recognizing civil society as a key actor in the design and implementation of public policies.In addition, RET shared its regional experience, particularly from Belize, where it has developed innovative sectoral models to address Human Trafficking, from the transport sectors, the health system and communities, managing to train more than 900 key actors and reaching more than 58,000 people with prevention messages.

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