From the 4th to the 10th of May 2015, IOM Zimbabwe with financial and technical support from the European Commission Delegation in Zimbabwe, facilitated a look and learn visit for a six member Zimbabwean Government officials’ delegation to Cairo, Egypt. The purpose of the visit was to expose the Zimbabwean government officials to the strides achieved by the Egyptian authorities in implementing their 2010 Trafficking in Persons (TiP) legislation, including implementation of their TiP National Action Plan. The government delegates’ were drawn the Ministry of Home Affairs, Zimbabwe Republic Police, Department of Immigration Control and IOM representative.

The objectives of the look and learn visit were: To get a full appreciation of the TiP legal and policy context of Egypt; To learn about the National TiP coordination and Data Management System in place and in use in Egypt; To appreciate how the National Referral System operates and functions; To solicit ideas and proposals on the Zimbabwe National TiP Action Plan and a practical appreciation of the implementation of a national TiP Action plan. 

During the four day visit the delegation was exposed to IOM Cairo and the IOM MENA regional office activities in supporting governments to curb human trafficking. In additions to presentations by IOM, the delegation also interacted with various partners and service providers that IOM supports including, women’s organizations and human rights lawyers.

The Egyptian national Coordinating Committee for TiP which is chaired by the Ministry of Justice and composed of representatives from several government ministries and Civic Society Oragnizations (CSO) stakeholders, informed the visiting delegation of the strides made by the Egyptian government since the enactment of the TiP legislation in 2010. Among the key achievements include the drafting of the TiP national plan of action which was implemented over a period of three years, establishment of shelters for Victims of trafficking, and carrying out of national awareness campaigns against human trafficking. In addition to the TiP Act, the Egyptian government authorities also enacted separate supporting legislation criminalising the trade of human body parts.

The delegation was also afforded an opportunity to visit one of the shelters for victims of trafficking in Cairo. Delegates were taken through the process of how the victims end up at the shelter, various therapeutic psychosocial initiatives for the victims as well as the reunification and reintegration process.

At the conclusion of the visit, the Zimbabwean delegation was afforded an opportunity to provide feedback to their hosts as well as discuss some of the issues the delegation would recommend for possible adoption in Zimbabwe. Among the notable recommendations were the following: The delegation would recommend and advocate for the inclusion of CSOs in the TiP Interministerial committee in Zimbabwe; recommend to the Interministerial Committee to consider producing annual TiP reports for wider dissemination; the delegation would advocate for a strong data management system so as to promote evidence based interventions; and the delegation would  initiate the drafting of the TiP National Plan of Action as a guiding strategy towards implementation of the TiP Act.

The look and learn visit was indeed an eye opener for the visiting delegation as it afforded the delegation an opportunity to learn how the implementation of the TiP legislation has been done within an African context. IOM Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwean Government representatives are expressed their gratitude to the EC delegation in Zimbabwe for the financial and technical support that made this activity possible as well as IOM offices in Cairo for the logistical and technical support as well as hosting the delegation throughout the period.

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