The conference was organised under the German Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and featured presentations on the results of the THB LIBERI project, led by the German Federal Criminal Police Office and co-funded by the European Union.
Opening statements were made by the Permanent Representative of Germany to the Council of Europe, the State Secretary of the German Federal Ministry of the Interior, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, the acting EU Anti-Trafficking Coordinator, and the UN Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, especially women and children.
The aim of the conference was to discuss challenges and innovative approaches which can have a positive impact on combating child trafficking. It enabled the sharing of practice-oriented, multi-disciplinary knowledge which can improve the detection of child victims, the investigation of cases and the protection of victims’ rights. The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on human trafficking, in particular on increasing vulnerabilities and exploitation online, were underscored by participants.
During the conference, three workshops were dedicated to discussions on:
- the exploitation of children and young persons through the Internet ;
- strengthening child and young persons’ testimonies ;
- the exploitation of children and young persons by family structures.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic related restrictions, the conference was held online, with some 300 participants registered to follow the proceedings.
Highlights of the conference will be made available in due course.
Conference webpage (with links to the programme, concept note and speaker, panellist and moderator biographies)
Conference opening speeches livestream recording (EN / FR / GER)
