The United Nations System Costa Rica in partnership with the National Coalition against the Smuggling of Migrants and Trafficking in Persons (CONATT), in the framework of the Joint Program "Costa Rica Against Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants" opened on Monday, March 4, the face-to-face sessions of the program "Specialized Training for the Investigation and Prosecution of the Crimes of Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants in Costa Rica" focused on thematic conferences on combating organized crime from a human rights and gender approach.

The activity included an exercise simulating a real trial so that participants can strengthen the identification and detection of the crimes of smuggling of migrants and trafficking in persons. This exercise was guided by experts from the Mexico team of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

The simulation involved participants completing specific tasks, making sense of a series of events, reconstructing facts, investigating, and processing information. This simulation involves real life situations and specific cases related to crimes related to smuggling and trafficking in persons. The central idea is that participants can learn by doing.

The mock trial exercise was attended by more than 80 people representing government institutions such as the Professional Migration Police (PPM), the Judicial Investigation Organism (OIJ), the General Directorate of Migration and Foreigners (DGME), the Directorate of Intelligence and National Security (DIS), Deputy Prosecutor against smuggling of migrants and trafficking in persons (FACTRA), Border Police, among others, as well as representatives of the agencies of the United Nations System, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), UNODC and UN Women.

"This type of meeting allows us to jointly strengthen the process of identifying victims of human trafficking and smuggled migrants, as well as the preparation of an appropriate response in each of their cases that incorporates a gender and human rights approach," said Wendy Fuentes, Manager of the Management of Human Trafficking and Smuggling of Migrants of the DGME.

In the same vein, Heydi Gonzalez, Coordinator of the Joint Program, expressed the importance of having the participation of personnel from institutions from all Costa Rican provinces, particularly the northern and southern border areas, in order to decentralize knowledge and strengthen the capacities of frontline personnel in the identification and detection of these crimes in Costa Rica.

In the same vein, Heydi Gonzalez, Coordinator of the Joint Program, expressed the importance of having the participation of personnel from institutions from all Costa Rican provinces, particularly the northern and southern border areas, in order to decentralize knowledge and strengthen the capacities of frontline personnel in the identification and detection of these crimes in Costa Rica.

This initiative is funded by the Multilateral Migration Trust Fund (MMPTF), the United Nations and CONATT, allowing to continue working together and strengthening partnerships against human trafficking and smuggling of migrants in Costa Rica. The results of this effort contribute to Goals 9, 10 and 23 of the Global Compact on Migration for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) and Goals 5 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

For more information, please contact the National Communications Officer, Allen Ulloa, at aulloa@iom.int or 83184442.