IRNA � Iran presented a statement at the high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the Appraisal of the United Nations Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons from September 27-28.

Read out by an Iranian envoy to the United Nations, the statement also reiterated Tehran�s resolve to take necessary measure to counter the �horrible crime�.

Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Eshaq Al-e-Habib further noted that Iran�s parliament has also taken up the Law on Combating Human Trafficking for debate to devise a strong domestic legal regime to that effect.

Full text of the statement is as follows:

Mr. President,

I would like to commend the distinguished Permanent Representatives of Qatar and Belgium for facilitating negotiations on Political Declaration.

The Islamic Republic or Iran is committed to prevent and fight any manifestation of human trafficking and reiterates its resolution to take all necessary measures to counter this horrible crime. To this end, the Law on Combating Human Trafficking was adopted by the parliament on 2004 and has once been revised to fill the gaps and strengthen the domestic legal regime. We continue our efforts for effective enforcement of the legislation including through training of judicial and law enforcement departments.

In the legal fight against trafficking in persons, it is essential to address all interrelated root causes that make people vulnerable to trafficking. Millions of people, women and girls as well as young men and boys have fallen prey to exploitation and trafficking due to poverty and unemployment. In the meantime, foreign interventions and armed conflicts have seriously aggravated their vulnerability to trafficking. Interventionist and destabilizing policies around the world particularly in Africa and the Middle East have served as breeding ground for criminal networks to engage in trafficking of people who are in the most vulnerable situations.

Trafficking in persons follows the principle of supply and demand. The supply side cannot be stopped as long as uncontained demand for trafficked forced labor, prostitution or removal of organs exists.

The complex synergy between trafficking in persons and certain organized crimes such as drug trafficking and smuggling of migrants calls for scaled up international cooperation, including through better information sharing and the provisions of capacity building and technical assistance for developing countries.

Meanwhile, the importance of education and raising awareness on human trafficking in countries of origin, transit and destination cannot be overemphasized. End users of services, provided by trafficked persons, are in much need of training as those who are at the risk of being trafficked.

Mr. President,

In conclusion, I would like to underscore the importance of availability of impartial and reliable data on trafficking in persons at different levels. Member States whose destructive foreign policy options have left millions of peoples at the risk of exploitation and trafficking have no more authority to produce politicized reports that disregards the responsibilities rest on them. We question their competency and integrity, an in the meantime recognize the work of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in authoring the biennial Global Report on Trafficking in Persons as a follow up to the global Plan of Action. We also reaffirm the central role of the UNODC in promoting the partnership in support of other pillars of the Plan of Action, namely prevention, protection and prosecution.