RIYADH: The Saudi Human Rights Commission and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime on Monday signed the second phase of an agreement to implement activities to strengthen national capabilities in preventing and punishing human trafficking. The agreement contributes to achieving a sustainable impact by meeting the objectives of the National Action Plan of the Committee for Combating Trafficking in Persons. HRC President Hala Al-Tuwaijri said that human trafficking is one of the most heinous crimes that violate human rights and deprive individuals of freedom and dignity. She stressed that the Kingdom, through the regulations and international agreements it has enacted and joined, has worked to build a legal and institutional framework that guarantees the protection of all persons, without discrimination, from these crimes and assists the victims. Al-Tuwaijri added that the renewal of the agreement comes within the framework of the Kingdom’s continued efforts to follow up on projects and initiatives related to combating and preventing these crimes and developing national capabilities to counter them. Judge Hatem Ali, the regional representative of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, welcomed the partnership and stressed that the agreement aims to build on the existing collaboration in combating and preventing these crimes nationally, regionally and internationally.