Preventing and combating forced begging as a prevalent form of child trafficking in Bosnia Herzegovina and North Macedonia remains a priority for the authorities. Children suffer from physical and psychological maltreatment, they drop out scholarship, and are sent on the street to ask for money that they hand over to someone who is profiting from their efforts.

To exchange experience about the ways to address this phenomenon, a peer-to-peer meeting was co-organised in Sarajevo by the Council of Europe project „Strengthening anti-trafficking action in Bosnia and Herzegovina“ and the joint European Union - Council of Europe anti-trafficking project in North Macedonia.

Samir Rizvo, State anti-trafficking coordinator, welcomed the initiative of regional cooperation between counterparts from Bosnia and Herzegovina and North Macedonia, and provided an overview on forced child begging in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The fourteen participants included prosecutors, police investigators, social workers, a judge, representatives of civil society organisations and anti-trafficking mobile teams from Bosnia and Herzegovina and North Macedonia.

The participants discussed special investigation procedures and techniques in order to obtain unfailing evidence and help courts adjudicate cases. Several successfully prosecuted cases were presented. The participants stressed that effective action against child trafficking for forced begging requires a multi-institutional co-operation, even at the regional level. In addition, they emphasised the importance of adequate and timely care and protection of children, victims of trafficking and forced begging.