Thailand-Australia centre of excellence to fight human trafficking

Minister of Justice Pol Colonel Tawee Sodsong and Angela Macdonald, Australia’s ambassador to Thailand, officially inaugurated the Counter Trafficking in Persons Centre of Excellence (CTIP-COE) in Thailand, located at the Department of Special Investigation Academy in the capital’s Nong Chok district on Friday.

This centre is an initiative of the Thai government, supported by the Australian government through the ASEAN-Australia Counter Trafficking (ASEAN-ACT) program. ASEAN-ACT is a 10-year programme by the Australian government, building on the long-standing cooperation between Australia and ASEAN, spanning over 20 years, aimed at addressing human trafficking issues.

"Addressing human trafficking, a global crime, cannot be achieved by any single country alone. Collaboration alone is not enough; there must be sincerity and seriousness, with all stakeholders participating equally in tackling this issue," Tawee stated.

Ambassador Macdonald congratulated the Thai government for taking on a leadership role and showing determination in addressing human trafficking. "The CTIP-COE is the first training centre of its kind in our region. It aims to enhance knowledge, experience, and skills necessary for combating human trafficking and related crimes," she said.

Thailand and Australia signed a memorandum of understanding to establish the CTIP-COE in November 2022, marking the beginning of cooperation in this area. The establishment of the centre aims to achieve strategic partnership objectives between Thailand and Australia.

Both countries have reiterated their commitment to enhancing cooperation to combat human trafficking and related crimes, such as the ongoing enforcement of labour regulations.

Friday also marked the conclusion of the CTIP-COE training course for 48 personnel from across the country working in prevention and suppression of human trafficking.