Participants at the training course.
Doha: Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU)’s Executive Education Center (EEC) delivered an interdisciplinary course on Combatting Human Trafficking in the USA between November 8-12.
The five-day training course was organised in collaboration with the Embassy of the State of Qatar in Washington, D.C. and the US-based Attorney General Alliance (AGA) - an alliance of attorneys general, states, organisations, countries, and partners throughout the world.
The course was delivered by faculty and practitioners from Stanford University and the AGA. The training covered the definition of human trafficking under international and domestic laws - and explored who it affects, how it operates, and what strategies exist to combat it. With the workshop’s participants occupying leadership positions in various Qatari and governmental departments, the training provided the tools they needed to recognise indicators for trafficking and solicit a rapid response from certified advocates and authorities.
Human trafficking impacts every continent and all types of economies. This illicit industry is continuously growing and its global profits amount to nearly $32bn annually. It is of particular relevance to Qatar considering the country’s geographic location as well as its steady efforts to support - and conform to - the efforts of the United Nations and other international agencies in their fight against this illegal practice.
Explaining the aims and impact of the course, Aphrodite Hammad, Executive Director at HBKU’s EEC, said: “The program has been designed to support government professionals who may confront this form of exploitation in the course of their duties. We express our appreciation to the AGA and Stanford University’s speakers for ensuring that our participants were trained and exposed to insightful content. Our international partnerships with premier education providers, practitioners, and experts are key to our efforts to create world-class learning and professional development opportunities with societal benefits. At the same time, we also thank the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Qatar Embassy in Washington for their invaluable support.”
Hammad expressed enthusiasm about the opportunities presented by this program, as it was the first international training to be organized on this scale.
