The International Organization for Migration (IOM) recently delivered induction training to Papua New Guinea’s national telephone counselling hotline staff.
The 1-tok kaunselin helpim lain is managed by ChildFund Papua New Guinea and has been operational since 2015, providing a 24-hour telephone counselling service to survivors of gender-based violence, including child protection and trafficking in persons (TiP) across Papua New Guinea.
At the request of ChildFund Papua New Guinea, IOM delivered sessions to hotline staff in coordination with the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and A21.
The AFP and A21 sessions were conducted virtually and received positive feedback from hotline staff. Topics of the induction included the international legal frameworks on TiP, the trafficking process, indicators, crisis interventions and referrals.
The induction training equipped 24 participants with knowledge on what TiP is, the process involved, how to identify a victim of trafficking and different interventions that may be done to support a victim until a referral can be made to relevant service providers.
This joint initiative has provided the opportunity for further collaboration with AFP and A21, offering support to IOM’s efforts in strengthening capacities of the 1-tok kaunselin helpim lain.