Institutions in the Dominican Republic receive training to strengthen human trafficking records

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On May 30, an inter-institutional training session was held at the National Statistics Office (ONE) of the Dominican Republic, focusing on strengthening capacities for the administrative registration of human trafficking crimes. The activity brought together representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MIREX), INACIF, CADSECI, the 911 System, the Ministry of Women, the Special Prosecutor's Office against Illegal Trafficking of Migrants and Human Trafficking, and ONE itself.

Ms. Crismairy Jiménez Mena, Director of Regulations and Methodologies at the National Statistics Office (ONE) of the Dominican Republic, welcomed the attendees, highlighting that the dissemination of the International Classification of Trafficking in Persons (IC-TiP) is part of a coordinated effort between the ONE and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). She noted that this joint effort seeks to strengthen the country's capacity to record cases of human trafficking in a more accurate and harmonized manner, promoting the use of international standards that allow for the generation of comparable and useful statistics for the formulation of public policies and the fulfillment of global commitments such as the Sustainable Development Goals.

The main objective of the session was to provide technical and analytical tools to improve the quality of the recording of this crime, as well as to advance the harmonization of data produced by different institutions. The training was provided by the UNODC-INEGI Center of Excellence, which presented the key elements of the International Classification of Trafficking in Persons (IC-TiP), including its definitions, disaggregation variables, and usefulness for international monitoring, especially in the context of indicator 16.2.2 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which refers to the number of trafficking victims detected per 100,000 inhabitants. During the session, the main challenges for the administrative registration of the crime were also presented , and the use of indicators from the Global Trafficking in Persons Report (GloTiP), a key tool for global monitoring of the phenomenon, was analyzed.

The session included a presentation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MIREX) of the Dominican Republic, given by M.A. Mayrellis Paredes, Head of Trafficking and Smuggling of Persons, together with Janet Acevedo, a technician from the same department. Under the title "Data integration for the Global Report on Trafficking in Persons (GloTiP) and inter-institutional coordination by MIREX," the national statistical process that allows for the integration of the information required by this international mechanism was addressed, as well as how this process is coordinated with the country's internal sources of information.

During her presentation, she explained the institutional structure of MIREX and its key functions in the area of human trafficking, including: the preparation of country reports, representation as a focal point in international forums, the coordination of bilateral roundtables, the monitoring of regional and multilateral agendas—including statistical reports—and the coordination of the national agenda on human trafficking and smuggling, as well as the updating of regulations in this area. He also highlighted the role of MIREX within the Inter-institutional Commission against Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants (CITIM) as a key forum for coordination with other State institutions.

The session was also attended by Ms. Lissette Reyes, Project Officer of the UNODC Caribbean Section on Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants, who accompanied and reinforced the technical focus of the exchange, contributing to the reflection on strengthening international reporting mechanisms and regional cooperation in this area.

The meeting concluded with a space for reflection and closure, in which the institutions highlighted the importance of moving towards a common roadmap that would improve data flow, ensure the comparability of figures, and contribute to the development of more effective public policies for the prevention, care, and prosecution of human trafficking in the country.

This activity is part of a regional effort promoted by UNODC and its Regional Office for Central America and the Caribbean in Panama (UNODC ROPAN), as well as its partners, to strengthen criminal information systems and ensure that no case of human trafficking is left out of the registry or institutional response. This activity is the result of technical assistance from the UNODC-INEGI Center of Excellence, which adds to its regional project objectives to strengthen statistical capacities and generate internationally comparable data.

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