Following the first technical workshop on this topic held in February 2019 in Rabat, a second meeting in the Moroccan capital allowed participants to examine in details the operational aspects of the future National Referral Mechanism (NRM), starting with issues related to the identification and protection of victims.

This meeting, organised on 11-12 March by the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (ONUDC) in Morocco with the contribution of the Council of Europe through the EU-funded South Programme III, aimed at presenting the advantages and disadvantages of the different types of NRM set up in some of the Council of Europe member States and beyond. One of the key elements analysed by participants is the standardised operational procedures steering the cooperation between the different actors involved, at the national and local level, when identifying and referring the victims to further stages of care.

Such workshops are crucial in the current process of defining the Moroccan NRM and they provide a concrete contribution to the future definition of a national strategy for the fight against trafficking in human beings in Morocco.

The South Programme III (2018-2020) aims to ensure the sustainability of earlier results by contributing to reinforcing human rights, the rule of law and democracy in the Southern Mediterranean region in accordance with European and other international standards based on a demand-driven approach. The programme holds as its main focus the combating of all forms of violence against women. The programme has a budget of €3334 000 funded 90% by the European Union and 10% by the Council of Europe as the organisation in charge of the implementation.

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Press release

South Programme III