Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2024, published 113rd ILC session (2025)

Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29) - Oman (Ratification: 1998)

Articles 1(1), 2(1) and 25 of the Convention. Trafficking in persons. 1. National Action Plan. Following its previous comments, the Committee notes the Government’s information, in its report, that the National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking (NCCHT) has issued the National Action Plan to combat human trafficking (2024–2026), the main objective of which is to strengthen the efforts of the country in preventing, suppressing and punishing human trafficking in all its forms and providing the necessary protection to victims, based on the Anti-Human Trafficking Act of 2008. The 2024–2026 National Action Plan is based on four axes: Prevention, Protection, Prosecution and Regional and International cooperation. The NCCHT follows up the implementation of the National Action Plan on a semi-annual basis in coordination with all concerned authorities. The Committee encourages the Government to continue its efforts to combat trafficking in persons and requests it to provide information on the measures taken to implement the various components of the National Action Plan to combat human trafficking (2024–2026), as well as on any assessment undertaken in this regard, indicating the results achieved and the difficulties encountered.

2. Protection of and assistance to victims of trafficking. The Committee notes that the NCCHT’s new website is now accessible in several languages, including Arabic, English, Bangla, Hindi, Indonesian, Thai, and Urdu. The website provides the 24-hour hotline numbers for reporting human trafficking offenses and offers comprehensive information on national legislation. It also includes guidance on identifying trafficking victims and details the available support services for those affected. In this regard, the Committee notes the Government’s information regarding the number of persons who have benefited from the healthcare, social and legal services provided by “Dar Al Wefaa (the country’s Protection House for victims of trafficking), more recently: 13 persons in 2020, 16 in 2021 and 18 in 2022.

The Government also refers to the signature of a memorandum of understanding in 2022 between the Ministry of Social Development and the “Dar Al Atta’a Association”. This agreement aims to enhance support for victims of human trafficking by providing travel tickets at the conclusion of legal proceedings, offering training and awareness programs, and organizing workshops for victims. It also includes efforts to market the victims’ handmade products, with proceeds going directly to them.

The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on the measures taken to ensure that all victims of trafficking in persons, for both sexual and labour exploitation, are properly identified and provided with adequate protection and assistance, including information on whether victims are entitled to recovery and reflection period. Please also provide information the number of victims of trafficking who have benefited from such measures.

3. Law enforcement. The Committee notes the Government’s information that public prosecutors and specialized officers in human trafficking have been deployed across all governorates of Oman. Additionally, the Sultanate has established dedicated human trafficking units within key institutions, including the Royal Oman Police, the Public Prosecution, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Labour, to enhance the focus and effectiveness of anti-trafficking efforts. The Committee notes the Government’s information that, between 2020 and August 2023, six human trafficking cases were recorded. The court convicted the defendants in two cases, acquitted them in three others, and one case was dismissed due to insufficient evidence.

The Committee encourages the Government to continue to strengthen the capacity of law enforcement bodies to proactively detect cases of trafficking in persons, for both labour and sexual exploitation, as well as their cooperation to ensure effective investigations and prosecutions. It requests the Government to provide information on the number of victims of trafficking identified, as well as on the number of investigations, prosecutions and convictions applied under the provisions of theAnti-Human Trafficking Act of 2008.