The joint European Union and Council of Europe action "Preventing and combating trafficking in human beings in Bosnia and Herzegovina" trained media representatives, spokespersons and civil society organisations (CSOs) to protect the identity, private life and personal data of victims of human trafficking in line with the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (Article 11) and the guidelines developed under the action.

At two training session organised on 22 and 23 November 2022, 27 participants, of which 11 representatives of civil society organisations, 16 spokespersons from institutions and 1 media representative discussed the phenomenon of human trafficking, who are the perpetrators, who are the victims, why protecting privacy and confidentiality of their identity are important, what is the role of media, spokespersons and CSOs in protecting the privacy of victims when reporting on and dealing with trafficking cases. The participants heard the testimony of Seudin Zoletić, survivor of trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation and one of the 33 appellants before the European Court of Human Rights in the case Zoletić versus Azerbaijan.

The trainers, Jelena Hrnjak, journalist and anti-trafficking activist from the NGO Atina (Serbia), Amela Efendić from the NGO IFS EMMAUS, and Una Bejtović, consultant for public relations, held interactive case studies with the group and exchanges on good practices and common mistakes in daily work with victims of trafficking. The emphasis was placed on ethical journalism to avoid secondary traumatisation of the victims, regardless of the sensation that revealing trafficking cases to the public may bring.

The action „Preventing and Combating Trafficking in Human Beings in Bosnia and Herzegovina“ is implemented under the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme „Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey 2019-2022“.