ASEAN adopts Guideline on implementing the Non-Punishment Principle for protection of victims of trafficking in persons

ASEAN issued an official guideline on implementing the non-punishment principle for the protection of victims of trafficking in persons (adopted ad referendum on 27 May 2025). The guideline is intended to support domestic legislative and enforcement alignment across member states to avoid penalizing trafficking victims for unlawful acts they were compelled to commit, and to promote consistent protection practices. Compliance and ethics teams (especially in high-risk labor supply chains) should monitor how member states translate the guideline into national laws, prosecutorial policies, and victim identification/protection procedures.