Qatar is sparing no efforts to combat trafficking in human beings at different levels and the country would strive to put an end to the smuggling of migrants, HE the Minister of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs Dr Issa Saad al-Jafaili al-Nuaimi said.

He was addressing the opening of the 2-day Interpol Global Conference on Trafficking in Human Beings and Smuggling of Migrants.

The 5th edition of the conference is attended by more than 300 experts from police forces from across the world, besides representatives of civil societies and non-governmental organisations.

While recalling the country's efforts of recent years, HE Dr al-Nuami said Qatar has established the National Committee for Combating Human Trafficking with the sole mission of uniting the efforts and initiatives of the national and civil society institutions in combating trafficking and smuggling of migrants.

"At the regional level, Doha has sponsored a major initiative to build national capacities to combat human trafficking. It is being done in association with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the League of Arab States".

The minister reminded the gathering Qatar has been one of the prime donors to the UN Voluntary Trust Fund for Victims of Human Trafficking and the country would continue to co-operate with the UN bodies and other international and regional organisations to combating trafficking in humans. He asserted that the country would wholeheartedly support its efforts in combating all types of trafficking in human beings.

Interpol Executive Committee (Americas) vice-president Todd Shean and director (Combating organised and emerging crimes) Paul Stanfield stressed that the police bodies across the world would accelerate their efforts to combating human trafficking and smuggling of migrants.

Shean said both the trafficking in human beings and smuggling of migrants to different destinations amount to modern day slavery and every country is bound to act sternly against such criminal activities.

The UN office on Drugs and Crime vice-president Haytem Fouad Ali, and Qatar's National Committee for Combating Human Trafficking vice-president Fayssal al-Henzab also spoke.

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