NIGER - NIGERIA REPORT OF THE FOURT JOINT TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP (JTWG) ON STRENGTHENING CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION IN COMBATING TRAFFIKING IN PERSONS Strengthening Niger-Nigeria Cooperation on Countering Trafficking in Human Beings

Minutes of the Fourth Meeting of the Joint Technical Working Group (JTWG)
03-04 February 2022

Venue: Noom Hotel, Niamey, Niger



Introduction: 
The 4th joint technical working group (JTWG) meeting was held on 3-4 February 2022 at the Noom hotel, Niamey. The visiting delegation from Nigeria arrived Niamey on 01 February 2022 to join their Niger counterpart in participating in the ECOWAS led 14th Annual Review Meeting (ARM).  The ARM is an annual event organized by the ECOWAS to serve as a peer review mechanism involving the network of all the National TIP Focal Institutions in the ECOWAS Member States. The initiative to host the Annual Review Meeting in Niamey was inspired by the need to strengthen partnership for effective resource utilization. As such, the 14th ARM was co-founded in partnership with another ICMPD led initiative – Organized Crime: West African Response to Trafficking (OCWAR-T). This was achieved in support of the aspiration of the ECOWAS Commission to institute the rotational hosting of the ARM among its member states. The highlight of the 14th ARM displayed the Niger-Nigeria TIP project as led by the Director Generals of both the Niger ANLTP and the Nigeria NAPTIP who took turns to present the different actions already implemented under the JTWG. In acknowledgement, the ECOWAS MS present at the ARM noted the effectiveness of the JTWG as a structure to be adopted in the implementation of such related international cooperation frameworks.

Objectives

The fourth in series of the JTWG meeting of the Niger-Nigeria project was organized on the margin of the ECOWAS led Annual Review meeting to:

1. Showcase the Niger-Nigeria cooperation at the regional level
2. Provide update on the various activities so far implemented
3. Agree on the operationalization mechanism of the signed MoU

Moderators: Co-chairs of the JTWG (DG NAPTIP and DG ANLTP)

Day 1 of the JTWG
The opening activities of the 4th JTWG Meeting started at 4:15pm after a brief overview of the format and expected outcomes delivered by the project manager which underscored the importance of rotational hosting between Niamey and Abuja.

Goodwill message from the Netherland was delivered through a pre-recorded video by Ms. Mylene Sijnja.

a.	Opening Remarks: The Director General of ANLTP/TIM and the NAPTIP Director General, both took turns to deliver their brief remarks as co-chairs, each recalling the events of the 14th ECOWAS ARM and restating their commitment to continue to strengthen bilateral collaboration in the fight against human trafficking following the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MoU). From the ICMPD side, the signing of the MoU represents a major milestone for the project. According to the Project manager, ICMPD is committed to ensuring that the provision of the MoU are well implemented within the scope of the project re-emphasizing the need for a victim-centered approach.

b.	Adoption of the minutes of the 3rd JTWG Meeting: The minutes of the previous JTWG sub-committee inaugural meeting which had hitherto been shared by ICMPD (both in English and French) and was unanimously adopted. 

c.	Matter Arising, Discussions and Conclusion

i.	Cooperation Agreement (MoU) - Going forward: Recounting previous experience with regards to the JTWG meeting format, it was agreed that going forward, the co-chair of the JTWG led by the DGs of both the ANLTP and NAPTIP will be responsible for co-moderating the meetings.

ii.	Update on the formulation of the Sub-committee: The ICMPD project manager confirmed the receipt of nominations into the sub-committees from both sides. 

Note: The four (4) priority areas for the sub-committee validated are:
1.	Protection and Repatriation
2.	Prevention 
3.	Investigation and Prosecution 
4.	Partnership and Resource Mobilization

iii.	While the JTWG platform continues to serve as a monitoring mechanism for the implementation of all project activities, the terms of reference (ToR) to guide the task and expectation for the respective sub-committees will be reflected in the overall work plan.

iv.	Situation at the Border corridor: From the Nigeria side, the Kano zonal command of NAPTIP provided update on the daily routine activities and results achieved along the corridor of interest i.e., Niger-Nigeria borderline, and the specific cooperation elements directly initiated with the Niger DST that have made some of the achievements possible. From the Niger side, the ANLTP representative acknowledged that the DST is directly responsible for operational activities related to investigation of crimes in Niger and corroborated the synergy that exist between the NAPTIP Kano Zonal command and the Niger DST

Day 2 of the JTWG: Started at 9:30am

Recap of Day 1: The co-chairs took turn to express their gratitude to members of the JTWG for the input made during the events of the previous day while noting that it was the first JTWG meeting since the signing of the MoU. It was reiterated that the main objective of the 4th JTWG meeting was to develop a plan of action to be implemented within the scope of the Niger-Nigeria (NE-NG) project going forward. Participants sort clarification on the possibility to request a no-cost extension with regards to the expected end date for the project. In response, the project manager assured that ICMPD is in constant communication with the donor and that if foreseen and justifiable, a no-cost extension will be proposed.

Context Setting: The NAPTIP Director in charge of Research and Program took the task to make a presentation on the context, format and the process for the development of a work plan. 

Breakout session according to sub-committees: After much deliberation, it was agreed that each sub-committee should constitute of members from both sides in developing the work plan to foster interaction among individual members beyond any language barrier. The total time allotted for the sub-committees break out session was one (1) hour.

Plenary: Presentations of action plan by each sub-committee: focused on sustainable funding beyond donor support. ICMPD to finalize the work plan and share with both parties via email exchanges within the next 7 days for validation.

Agenda Item 1: 	

Update on the wellbeing of Ms Gloria Edobor: Presentation by Mrs. Angela, Head Intelligence and International Cooperation, NAPTIP.  In summary:  Ms Gloria was at the NAPTIP Abuja shelter for four (4) months where she received medical care and psychosocial support after which she was transferred to Benin city in November 2021. She is currently rejoined with her family and receiving reintegration support from CARITAS in Benin (hairdressing). She intends to return to school. NAPTIP is taking responsibility for her education and she is expected to be enrolled by September 2022. However, there is no concrete information regarding the profile and location of the trafficker but NAPTIP continues to access the situation. 

Agenda Item 2:	

Situation of Shelters in Niger and Nigeria: The presentation on the situation of Shelter in Nigeria was led by NAPTIP official while for Niger, ANLTP. Both sides discussed the common challenges faced in managing the shelters and the various effort being made to increase the shelter capacity particularly along the Niger-Nigeria border corridor.   This issue of centres has given rise to interesting debates on management, staff diversity and victims hosted in the centres. Interestingly, CSOs represented by Network Against Child Trafficking, Abuse and Labour (NACTAL) – the Nigeria's umbrella network of Civil Society Organizations mitigating against Human Trafficking and Lutte contre le Trafic Humain et le Prostitution (LPHT) from the Niger side took turn to share their respective experiences and advocated for increased cross-border cooperation between the network of CSOs on both sides.  

Agenda Item 3

Impact of Nigeria victims and traffickers on the criminal situation in Niger: presentation by DST Police Commissioner. In summary, the impact is most visible in Agadez. Cooperation between DST and NAPTIP is in progress but when victims are rescued around the Agadez region, there are logistical challenges due to distance and difficult conditions. No shelter facility around the border corridor with Nigeria and most migrants intercepted along the corridors are women. The DST Police Commissioner recommended that capacity building on financial investigation and asset forfeiture can be included under the investigation committee

AOB: The Host, DG ANLTP expressed his gratitude to everyone for participating in the 4th JTWG meeting conducted in Niamey and thanked the ICMPD team for facilitating and organizing the activity.


Secretariat
ICMPD, Abuja
10 February 2022