KATHMANDU, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Experts of South Asia Region (SAR)said that about 100,000 people are trafficked annually in SAR, state-run Radio Nepal reported here Tuesday.

    "Majority of the trafficked are young women and girls and many of them are trafficked for the purpose of exploitation and prostitution," speakers said at the three-day Regional High Level Meeting on Human Trafficked and HIV: Sharing of Good Practices Stocktaking and Moving Forward that kicked off here on Monday.

    "Human Trafficking in SAR has taken many forms and occur for a variety of purpose like organ transplant, bonded labor, domestic servitude, sex trade, hazardous labor, marriage, illegal adoption and pornography," the radio quoted the speakers as saying.

    The meeting was jointly organized by the United Nations Development Program Regional Center in Colombo and United Nations Development Fund for Women.

    The meeting has been organized with the aim to provide platform for dialogue between policy/decision makers and victims of human trafficking building upon gender sensitive and rights based approach.

    The meeting also aimed at providing platform for inter-regional dialogue and collaboration amongst regional and sub-regional institutions for information sharing and for exploration of a collaborative action on human trafficking and HIV/AIDS within the context of gender and human rights and development.

    Civil society partners, government and United Nations officials from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Pakistan and Nepal have been participating the meeting. Enditem