On 20 October 2023, Mrs. Ureerat Chareontoh, Director-General of Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA) led delegations from four Development Partners – (1) the Australian Embassy in Thailand; (2) the United States Agency for International Development/Regional Development Mission for Asia (USAID/RDMA); (3) Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA); and (4) the French Development Agency (AFD) – on a visit to the Transit and Reception Centre for Victims of Trafficking and Other Vulnerable Groups (TRC), and Poipet Referral Hospital (RH) in Banteay Meanchey Province, Cambodia. H.E. Mr. Hun Saroeun, Ambassador of Cambodia to Thailand, and delegates from Sa Kaeo Provincial Health Office also attended this event. The Delegation was welcomed by high-level Cambodian officials, including (1) H.E. Mr. Nhek Vannara, Secretary of State, Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans, and Youth Rehabilitation (Mosvy); (2) Mr. Ngor Mengchroun, Vice Governor of Banteay Meanchey Province; and (3) Ms. Chhea Manith, Director of the TRC.

This Field Visit was aimed to offer an insight into Thailand’s role in anti-human trafficking both in Thailand and its neighbouring countries, where Thailand provides rehabilitation programme, skills development, and vocational trainings for the trafficked victims to ensure their sustainable reintegration into the society and break the trafficking cycle. It was also organised to showcase the progress of development cooperation projects spearheaded by TICA, especially in border health cooperation. Moreover, this Field Visit provided an opportunity for the Development Partners to explore ways to forge partnership or trilateral cooperation with Thailand in the future.

The Establishment of the TRC is a development cooperation project implemented by TICA, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, which is an outcome of the MOU on the Establishment of TRC in Banteay Meanchey Province, signed during the 10th Meeting of the Thailand – Cambodia Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation on 26 August 2016. As of now, Thailand has already handed over the Centre buildings as well as the equipment for the function of the Centre and vocational trainings to Cambodian authorities on 28 September 2023 and 9 October 2023, respectively.

For the renovation and extension of the Emergency Services Department at Poipet RH, it is a project jointly carried out by TICA, Sa Kaeo Provincial Health Office, and Health Administration Division, Ministry of Public Health, under the Thai – Cambodian Development Cooperation Programme in Health Sector, Phase 2 (2022 – 2024) between Sa Kaeo and Banteay Meanchey Province. The purpose of this project has been to ensure effective and rapid patients referral system between the two provinces, which is beneficial to the people from both sides. Since 22 March 2023, Thailand has handed over the extended and renovated Emergency Services Department to Poipet RH, which is now fully functional.

On this occasion, the Director-General of TICA stressed the importance of multi-stakeholder and multi-agency collaboration in creating engagements and tangible impacts to sustainably address human trafficking and cross-border health issues. The Development Partners complimented the active role of TICA and agreed to consider the possibility to extend Thailand’s existing projects to development partnership to tackle human trafficking.