WE, the partners of the Multi-Sectoral Network Against Trafficking in Persons, convened at Kawit, Cavite on 8-10 July 2003 to address the issues and concerns relevant to trafficking in persons, especially women and children;

RECOGNIZING the complexity and magnitude of trafficking in persons in the Philippines, being a source, transit and destination country of victims;

STRESSING the need for a holistic approach and coordination of efforts in achieving the interrelated and interdependent objectives and responsibilities of the Philippine government, and civil society as a whole, through the implementation of effective measures to address trafficking in persons;

AFFIRMING the need to immediately and creatively promote cooperation, harmonize programs, and sustain partnership among government, non-government organizations, private sector and the civil society in general, in the prevention of trafficking in persons, protection of trafficked persons, prosecution of traffickers, and repatriation and reintegration of the victims of trafficking in persons, especially women and children;

RECOGNIZING further the need for immediate and appropriate responses to attempts or incidents of trafficking in transit areas, along with other efforts to proactively intercept and prosecute traffickers;

NOTING that the Philippines is a signatory and party to international instruments adopted to combat human trafficking, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime and its Supplementing Protocols, and ILO Convention No. 182 on the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labor;

ACKNOWLEDGING that Republic Act 9208 or the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003, which was signed into law on 26 May 2003, mandates the creation of an Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking to implement a comprehensive and integrated program to prevent and suppress the trafficking in persons;

NOW THEREFORE, we agree to formalize our partnership in the Multi-Sectoral Network Against Trafficking in Persons, which envisions a society free from trafficking in persons, especially women and children, where our people can enjoy the fullness of life;

We shall exist as a national network of various civil society and private groups, in support to government efforts, committed to provide immediate and appropriate response mechanisms to address the issue of trafficking in persons, especially women and children, in the areas of prevention of trafficking, investigation and prosecution of offenders, protection, rescue and recovery and reintegration of trafficked persons.

We also commit and pledge our unequivocal and full support by exerting concerted and sustained efforts and vigilance in the implementation of the programs and projects embodied in the Strategic Plan of the Multi-Sectoral Network to Address Trafficking in Persons in the Philippines, formulated 10 July 2003 in Kawit, Cavite, towards:

1. Adopting and effectively implementing a comprehensive strategy to complement the national strategy developed by the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking by working to:
   • Provide effective, sensitive, and systematic direct services in cases of trafficking;
   • Expand and maximize the involvement of various sectors especially civil society, in combating trafficking activities through improved and sustained networking policy and advocacy efforts;
   • Build the capacities of partner agencies from civil society and government sector in the implementation and monitoring of the anti-trafficking law; and
   • Address the root causes of trafficking in persons and work towards the development of long-term solutions.
2. Identifying core areas of coordination between and among partners geared towards cooperative and unified action in combating trafficking in persons. (Refer to Annex 1 "Areas of Coordination" which is also explained in operational details by Annex 2 "Challenges")

Adopted and signed at the Kalayaan Hall, Club Filipino, Greenhills, San Juan, Metro Manila, this 23rd day of October 2003.

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