Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (hereinafter referred to as “ASEAN”) - Brunei Darussalam, the Kingdom of Cambodia, the Republic of Indonesia, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, the Republic of the Philippines, the Republic of Singapore, the Kingdom of Thailand, and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, hereinafter referred to individually as “the Party” and collectively as “the Parties”;

RECOGNISING that trafficking in persons constitutes a violation of human rights and an offence to the dignity of human beings;

RECALLING the purpose and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, the Charter of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (“ASEAN Charter”), the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration, the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, and where applicable, the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, and other international agreements and resolutions of the United Nations on the eradication of trafficking in persons, in the promotion and protection of human rights, fundamental freedoms, fair treatment, rule of law and due process;

REAFFIRMING our commitment to the ASEAN Charter with a view to responding effectively, in accordance with the principle of comprehensive security, to all forms of transnational crimes and transboundary challenges;

REAFFIRMING also our commitment to the ASEAN Declaration Against Trafficking in Persons Particularly Women and Children adopted in 2004; the Criminal Justice Responses to Trafficking in Persons: Ending Impunity for Traffickers and Securing Justice for Victims in 2007 (“ASEAN Practitioner Guidelines”); the ASEAN Leaders’ Joint Statement in Enhancing Cooperation against Trafficking in Persons in South East Asia in 2011; and ASEAN's efforts in promoting human rights, including the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration adopted in 2012;

REAFFIRMING further our commitment to a stronger and more effective regional and international cooperation against trafficking in persons where the offence is transnational in nature, including but not limited to crimes committed by organised criminal groups;