"Preventing human trafficking and protecting victims requires multidisciplinary cooperation at all levels," said Helga Gayer, President of the Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA), addressing the Current Affairs Committee of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities in Strasbourg, on 28 June 2023.

"As the first point of contact for potential victims of trafficking, and as service providers for vulnerable people such as refugees, migrants, socially disadvantaged people or children at risk, local and regional authorities have a key role to play in this respect," she stressed.

This territorial dimension is regularly considered by GRETA during its country visits to monitor the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. In addition to meetings at national level, GRETA also meets with associations of municipalities/regions and local and regional authorities in order to assess action against trafficking as closely as possible to the realities on the ground.

“GRETA stands ready to further develop cooperation with the Congress of Local and Regional authorities in achieving the purposes of the Anti-trafficking Convention,” concluded Ms Gayer.

The Chair of the Congress Current Affairs Committee, Thomas Andersson, welcomed the cooperation between GRETA and the Congress Committee which agreed to further explore the topic with a view of possibly launching a new activity on the role of local and regional authorities in combatting human trafficking.

The Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) is an independent body which monitors the way countries implement the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. All 46 member states of the Council of Europe are bound by the Convention, as well as non-member states Belarus and Israel.