Strengthening Civil Society Coordination and Collaboration in Chiang Rai

In Thailand, there is a wide range of civil society actors working in migrant protection and anti-human trafficking, from large International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs), Civil Society Organizations (CSO)s, village volunteers, community leaders, and migrant organizations. Civil society actors are often at the forefront of counter-trafficking efforts, engaging most directly with people in situations of exploitation, referring cases to service providers, providing protection services and identifying emerging trends. CSOs bring unique skills, knowledge, and resources crucial for effective migration governance and counter-trafficking, and play a vital role in civic representation, awarenessraising, advocacy, empowering migrant communities, identifying and protecting victims of trafficking, providing vital services to migrant populations and host communities, and enhancing accountability. Because of this, it is important to ensure that policy makers and service providers seek out and consider civil society perspectives when designing responses to human trafficking in Thailand. For that reason, CSO participation in anti-trafficking efforts is central to the theory of change that underpins the USAID Thailand CTIP project. Over the course of the project, World Vision and the civil society partners highlighted in this case study worked together to ensure that civil society organizations are included in decision-making on provincial, national and regional policy levels and are incorporated into provincial multidisciplinary teams.