A two-day South Asia Regional Meeting on the Protection of Victims and Witnesses within the Criminal Justice Process was held on 21st and 22nd May 2026 at Nagarkot, Nepal, under the leadership of Ms. Reena Pathak, National Programme Coordinator of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Nepal.
The meeting, organized by UNODC, brought together representatives from government institutions, law enforcement agencies, civil society organizations, and UNODC from Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and India. Participants shared experiences, challenges, and best practices related to strengthening the protection of victims and witnesses of human trafficking.
The regional meeting was conducted under the EU-funded project, “Preventing and Addressing Trafficking in Human Beings and Smuggling of Migrants in South Asia.” The event focused on strengthening victim-centred and trauma-informed approaches within criminal justice systems across the region.
The opening session was attended by distinguished guests including Mr. Ulrich Meiser, Head of UNODC Programme Office in Nepal; Mr. Krishna Prasad Pageni, Chief of the Anti-Human Trafficking Bureau of Nepal Police; and Mr. Sanjeeb Raj Regmi, Deputy Attorney General of Nepal. They delivered opening remarks highlighting the importance of coordinated efforts to protect trafficking survivors and witnesses.
The discussions focused on identifying systemic and operational challenges faced by victims of trafficking within criminal justice processes, promoting regional peer learning, sharing promising practices, strengthening safeguarding and coordination mechanisms, and improving the understanding and application of trauma-informed approaches among justice sector actors.
The meeting also identified key priority areas and follow-up actions to support stronger national and regional implementation of measures aimed at protecting victims and witnesses of human trafficking.
Ms. Anusha Munasinghe, National Programme Coordinator of the South Asian Regional Office of UNODC, participated in the meeting representing Sri Lanka.
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