The RSO attended the inaugural meeting of the Joint Steering Committee of the new Counter Trafficking in Persons Centre of Excellence and on 20 December. The RSO will work with other members of the Joint Steering Committee to deliver holistic training packages to Thai officials that support the development of highly skilled and specialised counter trafficking in persons personnel. 

The Centre of Excellence will serve as a hub for knowledge sharing, research, innovation and thought leadership around countering trafficking in persons. It will also lead in designing and delivering a standardised curriculum on trafficking in persons for Thailand and the wider Association for Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region, bringing a cohesive approach to training of government agencies, and enabling officials to address trafficking in persons cases more effectively. 

The meeting was opened by the Thailand and Australia Co-Chairs of the Counter Trafficking in Persons Centre of Excellence Joint Steering Committee—Pol. Gen. Thammasak Wicharaya, and Dr Angela Macdonald, Australian Ambassador to Thailand. They were joined by Lynn Bell, Australian Ambassador to Counter Modern Slavery, People Smuggling and Human Trafficking, and Senior Official Co-Chair of the Bali Process.  

Royal Thai Government counter-trafficking agencies shared updates on coordination efforts to establish the Counter Trafficking in Persons Centre of Excellence. They highlighted the complex nature of trafficking in persons cases in ASEAN, and how working together across various sectors—such as labour and social welfare agencies, law enforcement, the judiciary, non-governmental entities, and the private sector—and utilising a whole-of-government approach is crucial.  

Dr Lucia Pietropaoli, Team Leader of the ASEAN-Australia Counter Trafficking Program (ASEAN-ACT), together with representatives of the international NGOs Freeland Foundation and International Justice Mission, shared updates on progress in developing the curriculum for the Counter Trafficking in Persons Centre of Excellence. Building on the recommendations of a scoping study conducted by ASEAN-ACT in 2022 to support the establishment of the centre. A core focus for the curriculum will be to promote victim-centred, gender-sensitive, and inclusive approaches towards countering trafficking in persons, in line with international standards.  

David Scott, RSO Co-Manager (Australia) said, “The RSO is proud to be a member of the Joint Steering Committee of the new Counter Trafficking in Persons Center of Excellence. We look forward to inputting RSO operational capacity building expertise and content to shape the Centre of Excellence curriculums—working alongside Royal Thai Government agencies, ASEAN-ACT, and other regional partners and actors.  

“We are confident that the Counter Trafficking in Persons Centre of Excellence will support cross-border collaboration to counter trafficking in persons, by bringing together regional actors to provide opportunities to enhance knowledge and leadership skills, and grow networks among law enforcement, border, immigration and maritime officers, and wider counter trafficking practitioners.”