Saturday 20 / April / 2024
Muscat: Aimed at spreading awareness on the evils of human trafficking, and the suffering of its victims, the Insan campaign organised by the National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking came to a conclusion on May 31, 2021.
Organised over a three-month period, the campaign began on March 1 this year, and highlighted ways to detect them and how government efforts that are used to crack down on human trafficking can be supplemented by others.
Commenting on the conclusion of the campaign, Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Al Busaidi, Foreign Minister and Chairman of the Committee said, “The Sultanate is a country that respects all human beings. This is the principle that the late His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said bin Taimour – may the Almighty rest his soul in peace – made clear in his speech at the Annual Session of The Council of Oman 2003.
“In his speech, he said, ‘we are against injustice and darkness and on the side of justice, light and harmony. Mankind will only enjoy happiness and a sense of security if there is justice and respect for all those things which guarantee human beings their legitimate rights. First and foremost of these is their right to honour, dignity and freedom from humiliation, and their right to liberty and independence.’
“This is the same principle that His Majesty Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik – may the Almighty protect him – reinforced in his speech on February 23, 2020. He said, ‘we are proud that the citizens and residents in our dear country live, thanks to the Almighty, in the purview of the State of Law and institutions, a state built on the principles of freedom, non-discrimination, and equal opportunities, a state established on justice and dignity of individuals whose rights and liberties are secured therein’. Therefore, these are the principles of the Omani people, which make them a means of support and strength of the law enforcement forces as it continues its battle against heinous crimes in society,” said Al Busaidi.
“I would like to extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to all the parties who were a part of the campaign. I am especially grateful to the members of the National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking, who worked tirelessly to achieve the objectives of the campaign,” added the Foreign Minister. “Moreover, we are proud of their efforts to deliver this message to the farthest reaches of society and especially to the groups who are the most vulnerable to being victims of trafficking.”
From his side, His Excellency Nasr bin Khamis Al Sawai, Attorney General and Deputy Chairman of the Committee stated, “The Government of Oman, represented by The National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking, strives tirelessly to combat human trafficking crimes. This is made further possible by reviewing the legislative system and proposing laws for perpetrators of the crime.
“The committee is also keen on tracking the crime index through the statistical systems, providing care and protection to the victims,” he added. “Furthermore, the committee continues to organise campaigns to educate the different segments of society about human trafficking and various methods of reporting. We are proud of the positive results that have been reflected through the media and advertising campaign, which affirms that the community does not tolerate such crimes.”
Sayyid Ammar bin Abdullah Al Busaidi, First Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Supervisor of the Human Trafficking Committee, said, “We believe that combating human trafficking is not just the task of a particular entity. Rather, this is a joint effort from everyone involved through a means of collaboration of everyone within society, working towards this endeavour. The Insan campaign focused on targeting various segments of society through awareness and motivational messages, intending to encourage their participation in combatting human trafficking.”
“We are extremely proud of the positive results of the campaign, which showcased the high level of interaction within different segments of society,” he went on to say. “This way, we were able to detect cases that would have been overseen and not detected, if it were not without the support and awareness of the community, especially concerning extending care to the victims. A few of the campaign’s awareness activities will continue to take place until the end of the year as scheduled.”
The Insan campaign included several media, advertising and digital activities that were implemented in partnership and cooperation with various public and private entities. These included Omantel, Ooredoo, Muscat Municipality, BP Oman and The Oman Airports Management Company, who significantly contributed to the success of the campaign.
Also, several media representatives and social media influencers participated in the campaign including, Khalid Al Zadjali, Moosa Al Farei, Buthaina Al Bulushi, Ibrahim Al Zadjali and Ali Al Habsi. Each of them recorded a short video, expressing their support of the Insan campaign that focused on the concept of humanity. They also pointed out the Islamic values and morals that define the Omani character in their communication with others.
Sayyid Ammar Abdullah Al Busaidi, commented, “When social influencers participate and take part in promoting such awareness campaigns, these campaigns will receive widespread acclaim. Apart from receiving immense acceptance by the public and from our experience with Omani influencers who have participated with us in the Insan campaign, we can say that the cooperation proved very fruitful and was engaging. We are always keen to welcome and encourage such initiatives.”
“On behalf of the Chairman and members of the National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking, I would like to extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to all who have contributed in supporting the efforts of the campaign and seeing it to success,” he said.
The Sultanate’s government is constantly working to combat human trafficking crimes by legislating preventive laws for perpetrators, providing care and protection for victims, as well as organising campaigns and workshops.
The National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking was established as per the Royal Decree No. 126/2008, issued on November 23, 2008 and includes representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs, Ministry of Information, Ministry of Social Development, Ministry of Labour, Royal Oman Police, Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Oman Human Rights Commission, Council of Administrative Affairs for the Judiciary, Public Prosecution and General Federation of Oman Workers, as members.
