Preventing and combating trafficking in human beings is one of the priorities of the European Union and the Council of Europe co-operation in the Western Balkans and Turkey. Full respect for the rights of victims of trafficking in human beings during the restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic is important more than ever and the European Anti-trafficking Day is another reminder that this fight needs to remain firce and guided by the European standars in this area.
“The European Anti-trafficking Day presents an ideal occasion to remind leaders of state parties to the Council of Europe Anti-trafficking Convention of the legal and moral obligation not to cut corners on the rights and protection of victims of human trafficking”, said Davor Derencinovic, the President of Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA), on the occasion of the European Anti-trafficking Day. “All of us involved in the fight against human trafficking must sustain and increase our efforts to ensure that victims receive appropriate assistance and support to vindicate their rights, and that perpetrators are punished for this heinous crime”, he concluded.
In the Western Balkans, three Horizontal Facility actions marked the European Anti-trafficking Day. In co-operation with the Judicial Academy of Serbia, the action “Preventing and combating trafficking in human beings in Serbia” has launched a new HELP (Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals) course on trafficking in human beings for 31 legal professionals – judges (criminal, civil and misdemeanour) and prosecutors. “Prevention of trafficking in human beings needs to remain continuous priority for all of us as professionals. Programme such as HELP should be widely used to improve our knowledge, experience and capacities”, concluded Nenad Vujic, Director of Judicial Academy, and Mitar Djuraskovic, National Anti-trafficking Co-ordinator.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, as every year, the Ministry of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina hosted an event to mark the European Anti-trafficking Day. This event reiterated the importance of co-operation in the area of combating trafficking in human beings and has gathered all the important actors in this area – representatives of the Ministry, the European Union and the Council of Europe, the Lara Foundation/RING Network, the International Organisation for Migration and the International Solidarity Forum-EMMAUS.
This event was used to send a stronger message that human trafficking is a violation of basic human rights and that only through a joint action of all relevant actors in the process - institutions, national and international NGOs and bodies, we can effectively counter this phenomenon. “The action on „Preventing and combating trafficking in human beings in Bosnia and Herzegovina“ works closely with competent authorities and civil society organisations to improve the national responses to this modern form of slavery, especially as regards the processes of identification of and assistance to victims of trafficking“, said Bojana Urumova, the Head of the Council of Europe Office in Sarajevo on this occasion.
An online exchange with journalists, media actors and civil society representatives took place in Skopje, North Macedonia, on the European Anti-trafficking Day. The event was organised by the joint European Union/Council of Europe action “Preventing and combatting human trafficking in North Macedonia“, in co-operation with the National Commission for Combatting Trafficking in Human Beings and the participation of the International Centre for Migration Policy Development.
“North Macedonia is committed to preventing and combating trafficking in human beings. We will soon adopt a new Strategy and Action Plan. The monitoring reports of the Council of Europe Group of experts on action against trafficking in human beings and these strategic documents are the basis for our resolved fight against human trafficking. Trafficking in children is among our priorities, as there has been an increase in the numbers of detected child victims”, stated Magdalena Nestorovska, the National Anti-trafficking Coordinator and State Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Strong partnership of the European Union and the Council of Europe and various actors, including Beneficiary institutions and civil society organisations, remains the corner-stone of combating trafficking in human beings in the region, with the aim of better protection of victims of human trafficking, in line with the European standards.
