Some 30 representatives of Latvian ministries, public bodies and civil society organisations met in Riga on 18 April 2024 to discuss the implementation of the recommendations from the third evaluation report on Latvia by the Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) and the related Committee of the Parties’ recommendation.
The meeting was organised by the Anti-Trafficking Division of the Council of Europe and the Ministry of the Interior of Latvia, which co-ordinates national action against human trafficking. The discussions focused on victims’ access to legal aid and compensation, measures to strengthen the criminal justice response to human trafficking, the identification of victims and their access to assistance and protection. Steps taken to prevent child trafficking were also considered.
The event provided an opportunity to present Recommendation CM/Rec(2022)21 of the Committee of Ministers to member states on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings for the purpose of labour exploitation, and to discuss ways to strengthen action against this form of trafficking in Latvia.
Latvia is expected to report to the Committee of the Parties on the measures taken to comply with its recommendation by 17 June 2024.
