RIYADH — The US State Department upgraded Saudi Arabia's ranking in the latest edition of its annual Trafficking in Persons Report in recognition of the Kingdom's efforts to combat human trafficking. According to the report, which was published on Thursday, Saudi Arabia was upgraded from a ranking of "Tier 2 Watch List" to "Tier 2." This is the second year in a row in which the Kingdom received an upgrade for its efforts. The report, globally recognized as the most comprehensive analysis of country-specific trafficking responses, praised improvements in the Kingdom's inter-agency coordination, data-collection and data-sharing, and its "robust" capacity-building measures among this year's achievements. Saudi Arabia's anti-trafficking response is coordinated by the National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking (NCCHT), a multi-entity body chaired by the Human Rights Commission (HRC) that brings together key ministries and authorities in the fight against trafficking. The NCCHT is supported through partnerships with international organizations, including the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Commenting on the US report, Awwad Alawwad, the chairman of the NCCHT and president of the HRC, said: "We are honored by the recognition we have received for our efforts to combat trafficking over the past two years. Under Vision 2030, the Kingdom is committed to improving the quality of life not just for some — but for all. Today's achievement is a testament to the Kingdom's commitment to realizing this vision." The HRC's partners also congratulated Saudi Arabia on its achievement. In a statement, IOM's Chief of Mission to Bahrain, Mohamed El Zarkani, said: "IOM wishes to commend the laudable efforts of the government of Saudi Arabia in combating trafficking in persons in spite of the pandemic." "The news is equally encouraging to IOM as a partner organization and we remain committed, together with our colleagues at UNODC, to support the Kingdom in its journey to combat trafficking in persons and to protect the victims of this crime." Lauding Saudi Arabia's anti-trafficking efforts, Judge Hatem Aly, UNODC's regional representative and head of mission to the GCC, said: "This success was made possible by the commitment and determination of our partners in the Kingdom. We are proud of our partnership with the HRC and of our work with the NCCHT. And we are pleased to witness this achievement and to continue expanding our efforts under our partnership." Meanwhile, Vice-Chair of the NCCHT Sarah Al Tamimi reacted, saying: "We look forward to continuing our work in the year to come and to further enhancing our capabilities to combat this crime with our local and international partners. Today, we renew our pledge to combat human trafficking and to better serve victims and potential victims of this crime."
