On 8 September 2022, the Anti-Trafficking Division of the Council of Europe organised a round-table meeting to discuss progress made by the Republic of Moldova in the implementation of the third report of the Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA), published on 3 December 2020, and the related Committee of the Parties’ recommendation to the Moldovan authorities.
The meeting was opened by Ms Petya Nestorova (Executive Secretary of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings), Ms Daniela Misail-Nichitin (State Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs) and Mr Victor Lăpușneanu (Head of the Multilateral Co-operation Directorate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration).
The meeting brought together some 30 participants, including representatives of the State Chancellery, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, the Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of Finance, the General Prosecutor’s Office, the National Legal Aid Council, civil society and international organisations. They discussed progress made and remaining challenges as regards trafficking victims’ access to justice and effective remedies, which is the focus of the third evaluation round of the Convention.
Particular attention was paid to victims’ access to legal assistance and compensation, the criminal justice response to human trafficking, measures to prevent and combat trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation, identification of victims of human trafficking, and providing them with the required support. The risks related to the mass arrival of refugees from Ukraine were also at the centre of the discussions.
The Republic of Moldova is expected to report to the Committee of the Parties to the Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings on measures taken to comply with the recommendations by 4 December 2022.
