UNIAP's History

The UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (UNIAP) has had three phases:

UNIAP Phase I (2000-2003)

This phase concentrated on creating linkages between the range of different organizations involved in combating trafficking, using its broad and responsive mandate to address emerging issues, and supporting new small-scale pilot initiatives at a time when human trafficking was an emerging issue that was not well understood. Many of these activities had major flow-on effects. Linkages facilitated by UNIAP resulted in new partnerships being developed, while the most successful of the pilot initiatives have been built on and expanded by agencies concerned.

UNIAP Phase II (2003-2006)

Phase II was viewed as a consolidation of its work and achievements under the first Phase. It was dominated by UNIAP’s work in facilitating the development of the COMMIT MOU – a sub-regional Memorandum of Understanding to combat human trafficking between the six governments of the Greater Mekong Sub-region – accompanied by a Sub-regional Plan of Action (COMMIT SPA I) to help governments fulfill the commitments made under the MOU. This process, known as the Coordinated Mekong Ministerial Initiative against Trafficking (COMMIT), provides an overall multi-sectoral framework for anti-trafficking work at a sub-regional level.

UNIAP Phase III (2007-2011)

Our current phase takes advantage of the strengthened policy environment in the GMS, focusing its efforts on a diversification of targeted, sustained activity types to increase UNIAP’s technical service provider role to the counter-trafficking sector, as well as to facilitate the overall transition from policy development to implementation on the ground, focusing efforts on strengthening government and non-government good practice, coordination, and monitoring and evaluation.