National Women’s Education Center of Japan

The program focused on strategies for the TIP prevention and victim protection within the five participating countries and Japan. Participants examined public-private initiatives and conducted in-depth cases studies.

At the beginning of the program, participants learned about Japan’s public-private framework and initiatives based on the "Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Persons" through lectures and site visits. Each participant presented the anti-trafficking measures of their own country by delivering a Country Report. Following these presentations, they exchanged diverse views and shared common challenges as well as good practices.

Towards the end of the program, participants presented an "Action Plan" which summarized activities applicable under their purview, outlining concrete schedules focusing on the eradication of TIP and victim protection from the survivor’s perspective. On the final day, the program’s lecturers and JICA officials were invited to an online seminar where participants presented their final outputs and the summary of their Action Plans. Throughout the program, the importance of fostering global networking to combat TIP was reaffirmed

On Tuesday, October 21, an Online Orientation was held via Zoom. Participants presented Inception Reports describing their organizations, current responsibilities, and expectations for the Program. Before departing their home countries, they also viewed on-demand videos covering the Japanese government’s anti-trafficking measures (compiled by the Cabinet Secretariat) and JICA’s TIP initiatives.

Following the program orientation, participants presented Country Reports summarizing the current TIP situations, challenges, and good practices in their nations. These discussions revealed common issues of labor and sexual exploitation, as well as the emerging threats of technology-facilitated TIP, including organized fraud. This includes fraudulent online recruitment where individuals lured for overseas jobs online are ultimately coerced into exploitative work (including sexual exploitation) that differs significantly from their initial agreements. Law enforcement officials (police, prosecutors, and immigration officers) also highlighted the common difficulties of identifying TIP cases from other illegal acts.

The program facilitated participants to reconfirm the significance of the support based on human rights and survivor centered approach through the lectures about “Human Trafficking in Japan from the past to the present” delivered by Dr. Nobuki Fujimoto, Senior Researcher at the Asia-Pacific Human Rights Information Center (HURIGHTS OSAKA) and the online lecture “Human Rights-Based Approach to TIP in Southeast Asia and Beyond” by Ms. Genevieve Sauberli, Regional Migration Advisor, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

Then, the program provided an overview of Japan's Anti-TIP structure through lectures, visits and exchange the views by the Cabinet Secretariat, National Police Agency (NPA), Tokyo Regional Immigration Services Bureau and Tokyo Metropolitan Women’s Consultation and Support Center, as well as the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Following the lecture by the Anti-TIP Safety Division, Community Safety Bureau of NPA on “Measures against trafficking in persons in Japan" Personal Safety and Juvenile Division, Community Safety Bureau of NPA presented “Current situation of child pornography offenses and countermeasures in Japan". It touched on the case of abusing social media or generative AI and the case of producing child pornography by Japanese perpetrators outside of Japan. Necessity of international cooperation for effective investigations were pointed out.

During the IOM session, participants engaged in role-playing exercise as police officer and a TIP victim which helped to understand how to build trust with survivors who may be reluctant to cooperate with the police due to fear of retaliation or imposition of debt payment.

The program invited civil society organizations and experts to present their activities and experiences of prevention and protection of TIP victims. The participants gained insights from the visits and lectures by NPO Solidarity Network with Migrants Japan (SMJ), General Incorporated Association, Social Inclusion Support Center which operates a nation-wide multi-lingual hotlines (including social media consultations), Social Welfare Corporation "Ichiryukai" which run mid-to-long term shelters for women and children, NPO PAPS which engages protection of victims of technology facilitated sexual exploitation, Attorney Ms. Ryoko Minagawa, Secretary General, Lawyers for Trafficked Victims (LTV), General Incorporated Association Colabo which dedicates to outreach support for young women, and Specially Appointed Professor Yuriko Saito at Daito Bunka University.

These sessions helped the participants deepen their understanding of how various agencies and NPOs collaborate. They also reaffirmed that TIP often targets systemic vulnerabilities. Therefore, discussion underscored multi-agency collaboration to cover the vulnerabilities, support based on survivor-centered approach, and public awareness to foster a society that will not tolerate TIP.

Individual participants developed own Action Plan and presented in the end of the In-Japan Program. All the participants will implement the following action plans in their home countries over the next 6 to 12 months.

Kingdom of Cambodia: Providing Appropriate Support Services for LGBTQ+ victims of TIP.

Republic of the Marshall Islands: Enhancing collaboration between agencies, including the National Police, to improve coordination and response.

United Republic of Tanzania: Awareness-raising to prevent labor exploitation among Tanzanians working as domestic workers in abroad.

Kingdom of Thailand: Joint Online Monitoring TIPS lead information local with Foreign JICA partners.

Ukraine: Legal amendments to introduce trials in absentia for punishment of criminals and compensation for victims, and
Organization of TIP Training Programs for Investigators.

On the final day (November 19), an online seminar was held with the attendance of program lecturers, JICA staff, and JICA long-term scholarship participants.

At the closing ceremony, completion certificates were awarded to each participant.

Participants attended an Online Follow-up meeting on January 15, 2026, to report on the progress of the Action Plans they developed during the In-Japan program.

NWEC would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Cabinet Secretariat, National Police Agency, Tokyo Regional Immigration Services Bureau, Tokyo Metropolitan Government, international organizations, civil society organizations, legal experts, and all network members for their immense cooperation in providing lectures, hosting visits, and facilitating discussions for this program.