Experts highlight critical role of Faith-Based Organisations in combatting human trafficking and cybercrime at CCA’s international consultation

Programme Review and Programme Direction

Two key deliberative sessions during the 15th CCA General Assembly are the Programme Review and Programme Direction sessions.

The Programme Review and Programme Direction sessions will both be conducted in three groups relating to the CCA’s programme areas, namely, (i) General Secretariat (GS), (ii) Mission in Unity and Contextual Theology (MU) and Ecumenical Leadership Formation and Spirituality (EF); and (iii) Building Peace and Moving Beyond Conflicts (BP) and Prophetic Diakonia (PD).

Assembly participants will have the option to join one of three groups for both the Programme Review and Programme Direction sessions. For the sake of coherence, the assigned group will remain the same for both sessions.

General Secretariat

The General Secretariat oversees the coordination of programmatic, administrative, and financial activities of the organization. The GS comprises various departments such as church and ecumenical relations, relations with ecumenical partners, finance, administration, and communications, which provide crucial support and services for the implementation of programs and contribute to the overall functioning of the CCA.

Programmes: Relations with member churches and councils, ecumenical partners; advocacy at the United Nations; ecumenical responses to emerging issues in solidarity; income development and finance; and communications.

Mission in Unity and Contextual Theology (MU) and Ecumenical Leadership Formation and Spirituality (EF)

Under the MU programme area, the CCA accompanies Asian churches to strengthen their mission and witness in multi-religious contexts, revitalise and nurture church unity and the Asian ecumenical movement, and develop contextual theological foundations.

Programmes: Asian Movement for Christian Unity (AMCU); Congress of Asian Theologians (CATS); Asian women doing theology in the context of wider ecumenism; contextualisation of theology in Asia and ecumenical theological education.

The EF programme area focuses on nurturing and developing ecumenical leaders in Asia. The programme aims to enhance spiritual formation and theological understanding, enabling people to actively engage in ecumenical dialogue and collaboration.

Programmes: Ecumenical Enablers’ Training in Asia (EETA); Asian Ecumenical Institute (AEI); Youth and Women Leadership Development; Ecumenical Spirituality and Nurturing of Contextual Liturgical Traditions; Asia Sunday

Building Peace and Moving Beyond Conflicts (BP) and Prophetic Diakonia and Advocacy (PD)

The BP programme area is dedicated to promoting peace, justice, and reconciliation in Asia’s diverse contexts. Through training, advocacy, and dialogue, the programme addresses the root causes of conflicts, empowers communities, and fosters sustainable peacebuilding initiatives.

Programmes: Pastoral Solidarity Visits; Churches in Action for Moving Beyond Conflict and Resolution; Young Ambassadors of Peace in Asia (YAPA); Ecumenical Women’s Action Against Violence (EWAAV); Eco-Justice for Sustainable Peace in the Oikos.

The PD programme area focuses on promoting justice, human rights, and social transformation in Asia. Through advocacy, capacity-building, and raising awareness, the programme addresses systemic injustice, empowers marginalised communities, and advocates for prophetic actions and meaningful change.

Programmes: Human Rights advocacy; Migration, Statelessness, and Trafficking in Persons; Asian Ecumenical Disability Advocacy Network; Asian Advocacy Network on the Dignity and Rights of Children (AANDRoC); Ecumenical Solidarity Accompaniment and Diakonia in Asia (ESADA); Health and Healing; Good Governance; Action Together to Combat HIV and AIDS in Asia (ATCHAA).

No preference updated.

15 August 2025

Mr Thawatchai Khanawiwat and Ms Among Pundhi Resi from the International Organization for Migration (IOM)

Bangkok, Thailand: Experts working with United Nations agencies and international non-governmental organisations highlighted evolving trends in human trafficking, forced migration in Asia, and legal protection mechanisms to combat cybercrimes on the second day of the International Consultation organised by the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA). 

The sessions on “Bordered and Broken: Case Studies on Forced Migration and Human Trafficking” and “Behind the Screens: Case Studies on Trafficking in Persons and Cyber Scams” were led by Among Pundhi Resi and Thawatchai Khanawiwat of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) . 

Among Pundhi Resi, who oversees an initiative on protection, counter-trafficking, and border governance across Southeast Asia, shared insights from her extensive experience in dealing with the cases of  vulnerable migrants and victims of trafficking, including return and reintegration assistance. Thawatchai Khanawiwat highlighted case studies and data on evolving trafficking trends affecting both Thai and foreign nationals.

Ms Resi highlighted regional trends in trafficking, including sexual exploitation, forced labour, forced criminality, forced marriage, and forced surrogacy. She emphasised the need to strengthen bilateral agreements, enhance referral mechanisms, and expand joint law enforcement efforts, and called for innovative, technology-driven approaches to combat trafficking facilitated or enabled by digital platforms.

Persistent challenges remain, including political dynamics, corruption, limited law enforcement capacity, and insufficient cross-border cooperation. The importance of vulnerability screening, standardised victim identification, and community-based interventions was also highlighted.

Ms Resi and Mr Khanawiwat underscored the critical role of faith-based organisations in providing immediate emergency support, assisting in the repatriation of victims, and contributing to broader anti-trafficking efforts.

William Gois, Regional Coordinator of Migrant Forum in Asia, examined the socio-economic drivers behind trafficking and forced migration, highlighting how digital transitions have enabled new forms of exploitation. 

Mr Gois outlined key factors including economic inequality between countries, development policies prioritising profit over people, migration as a means to address poverty and unemployment, and labour demands in destination countries.

He concluded with a call for churches to consider their prophetic, pastoral, and ecclesiastical role in responding to these crises, posing the challenge: can churches offer sanctuary and become “sanctuary churches” for those affected by trafficking?

The session on “Legal Protection Mechanisms to Combat Trafficking in Persons and Forced Migration” was led by Christina Papazoglou, a legal and protection expert with nearly two decades of experience in human rights and humanitarian law, refugee protection, and legal frameworks addressing forced displacement and exploitation.

“Trafficking in persons and forced migration are symptoms of deeper structural inequalities, legal gaps, and governance failures. While international and regional legal frameworks offer foundational tools, they are not enough. Their impact is constrained by fragmented implementation and political hesitation,” Ms Papazoglou stated.

She highlighted several key measures to strengthen legal protection for trafficking victims and forced migrants. These include empowering civil society and survivor-led organisations, including faith-based organisations, to play an active role in policy design, monitoring, and service provision; strengthening regional cooperation through data sharing, joint investigations, and harmonised legal definitions; and developing robust referral mechanisms for victims.

Ms Papazoglou also stressed the importance of standardised, rights-based, and culturally sensitive victim identification and screening at borders and detention centres.

The Biblical-theological Reflection on Migration and Trafficking, led by Rev. Prof. Dr P. G. George, former Director of the South Asia Theological Research Institute of the Senate of Serampore College in Kolkata, India, provided the theological undergirding to the overall thematic focus of the consultation. While introducing several models and instances from Biblical narratives, he emphasised the ethical and humanitarian responsibilities of Christian communities to stand in solidarity with victims of trafficking and forced migration, based on the faith and witness of the Church and its ministry of pastoral accompaniment during times of victims’ vulnerability.

The international consultation being held in Bangkok will end on 15 August 2025.