Yemeni, Saudi reps meet to tackle child trafficking

The first ever consultations between Yemen and Saudi Arabia on the contentious issue of child trafficking took place in Riyadh on Wednesday. “We were very pleased and privileged to support this initiative, which we hope will be the beginning of strengthened collaboration and greater results for children,” said June Kunugi, UNICEF representative for the Gulf countries. The meeting, held under the auspices of UNICEF, brought together 25 major players from government ministries, civil society and academic institutions. Head of the Yemeni delegation, Staff Brigadier General Kasem al-Falah, said, “This meeting reflects the concern and the commitment of senior officials of the two countries to tackle child trafficking as a strategic matter affecting all of society.” While there are no reliable statistics on the scale of the phenomenon, it is believed that thousands of Yemeni children are trafficked to Saudi Arabia every year. In 2004, it is estimated that some 9,815 children who had been trafficked into the kingdom were handed over to Yemeni authorities. There were also reports that many youngsters faced hunger and physical violence while abroad. Official figures suggest that there are around 24,000 children, from some 18 different countries, currently begging or working in Saudi Arabia. While 82 percent of trafficking occurs with the consent of the child's parents, according to UNICEF data, in some 60 percent of cases, the child is trafficked against his or her will. Conference participants concluded the meeting by calling for enhanced cooperation between the two countries and the development of national plans to combat the trend. They also recommended supporting the role of civil society organisations and modifying prevailing laws regarding human trafficking. While Yemen ratified the international Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1991, the law does not contain specific provisions on the sale of children, child prostitution and child trafficking, according to UNICEF. SZ/AR/AM