A workshop supported by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) was held to help Cozumel tourism service providers identify and address human trafficking.
The “Let’s Talk About Human Trafficking Awareness Workshop” saw significant participation from tourism providers and guides. José Elías Farah Ceh, Deputy Director of Tourism, represented the Director of Tourism and Economic Development, Angela del Socorro Carrillo Chulin, at the event.
Farah Ceh highlighted the importance of equipping Cozumel’s tourism service providers with the necessary information and tools to detect risk situations and act according to established protocols to combat human trafficking. She emphasized that this informative and training session was jointly organized by the Quintana Roo Tourism Secretariat (SEDETUR) and UNODC, a global leader in the fight against illicit drugs and international crime.
Farah Ceh expressed gratitude to both organizations for their efforts in making Cozumel a safe destination, a priority for municipal president José Luis Chacón Méndez.
The training was led by María Fernanda Ruiz Carrillo, a program specialist at UNODC Mexico, and Carolina Morales Rojo, a gender expert at UNODC. The panelists shared their specialized knowledge on key indicators for detecting possible cases of human trafficking and provided tools for preparing reports and assisting victims.
According to the specialists, 77.50% of human trafficking cases involve sexual exploitation or forced labor. One in three victims are children or adolescents, and 60% of those affected are female, according to the Global Report on Trafficking in Persons 2022.
Councilor María Fernanda Vargas González, who chairs the Tourism Commission of the 2024-2027 Cozumel City Council, also attended the training.
Source: Cancun Mio
