Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland has welcomed Liechtenstein and Monaco signing up to the Council of Europe convention against human trafficking today.
“People trafficking is a hideous abuse of human rights which has no place in 21st century Europe,” he said.
“Our legally-binding treaty helps countries to prevent trafficking, to protect victims and to prosecute offenders, as well as promoting cooperation between countries of origin, transit and destination.
“I call on those Council of Europe member states which have yet to sign or ratify the convention to do so at the earliest possible opportunity.”
To mark the tenth anniversary of the convention, the Secretary General wrote to the authorities in the Czech Republic, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Russia and Turkey in June 2015 urging them to move towards signing and ratifying the convention without delay.
Notes
- The Czech Republic and Russia are now the only two countries in Europe yet to sign the convention (see the full list of signatures and ratifications).
- Liechtenstein and Turkey have both signed, but not yet ratified, the convention.
- Monaco officially signed and ratified the convention today, meaning that its provisions will enter into force in the country on 1 March 2016.
