The seminar, co-organized by the 130/CP Steering Board in charge of preventing and combating the trafficking of women and children and the Asia Foundation, have sought ways of raising the effectiveness of cooperation in implementing human trafficking prevention in Vietnam.

Participants in the seminar focused on analysing the root causes of human trafficking and traffickers’ tricks, forecasting the trends of this crime in the future, and assessing the effectiveness of the programmes.

They also outlined solutions pertaining to community-based education and communication activities to raise the public’s awareness about preventing and combating human trafficking, helping trafficked victims reintegrate into their community, and creating a legal system to support the fight against people traffickers.

The 130/CP Steering Board estimated that 2,800 women and children were moved between 2005 and June 2008. In the first six months of this year, 430 children and women have fallen victim to human traffickers, the board said, adding that law enforcement agencies had found 180 instances of human trafficking nationwide with as many as 3,000 people involved.

Though human trafficking has become a serious problem, the country lacks the legal powers to effectively deal with traffickers of men aged 16 and upwards, a representative from the Ministry of Justice said.

Vietnam has signed a series of UN conventions and protocols in addition to 15 bilateral agreements and 13 legal support accords with other countries to implement the fight against crimes, including the trafficking of women and children, according to Vu Hung Vuong, Deputy Head of the Police Department.