Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye (Horizontal Facility III)

Back New manual helps police detect human trafficking and protect victims in North Macedonia

Irena BABUSHKOVSKA

Modified 7 Hours ago.

New manual helps police detect human trafficking and protect victims in North Macedonia

A new training Manual is in the hands of the police officers in North Macedonia to help them recognise possible cases of trafficking in human beings (THB), respond safely and lawfully and protect victims’ rights. The Manual is a result of the support from the EU and Council of Europe joint action “Strengthening anti-trafficking action in North Macedonia” and was developed in co-operation with the Police Academy of the Ministry of Interior of North Macedonia (MoI). A multi-agency working group, comprised of representatives of the National anti-trafficking commission, the judiciary, prosecution, centres for social work and civil society organisations working directly with victims of human trafficking reviewed the manual to reflect the expertise and perspectives of those involved in preventing and responding to human trafficking.

“In combating human trafficking, it is crucial that police officers are equipped with knowledge and skills to recognise the signs of exploitation, collect evidence and protect human rights of trafficking victims in a professional manner. This Manual is a practical tool for the generations to come in the Police Academy. It outlines indicators for human trafficking and provides guidance for trauma-sensitive interviewing of victim”, said Biljana LALOVA, Chief Inspector for basic training and evaluation in the training sector in the Police Academy.

Referring to the Manual, LALOVA emphasised that different communities are at risk of human trafficking. For example, foreigners do not know Macedonian language and may not feel able to ask for help. People may be controlled through threats, violence, deception, debt, confiscated documents, or pressure on their families. In this framework, safety and support to victims are central to the recommended response to human trafficking for police officers. The Manual also highlights the value of careful, timely evidence gathering and co-ordination with anti-trafficking stakeholders. This resource marks another important milestone in the fruitful co-operation between the Council of Europe and the Police Academy, aimed at strengthening the fight against human trafficking, in line with European standards.
It is available in Macedonian at: https://rm.coe.int/-web-pdf/48802db3c3

The action “Strengthening anti-trafficking action in North Macedonia”, is part of the European Union and Council of Europe joint initiative “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”.

Skopje, North Macedonia 7 October 2026

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What is the Horizontal Facility?

The joint European Union/Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye” (Horizontal Facility III) is a co-operation initiative and one of the results of the Statement of Intent signed on 1 April 2014 by the Secretary General of the Council of Europe and the European Union Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy, in which both Organisations agreed to further strengthen their co-operation in key areas of joint interest.

The programme is ongoing since 2016 and the third phase begun in January 2023 for a period of 48 months. The third phase of the programme (worth €41 million (85% funded by the EU, 15% by the CoE) keeps building on the results of the previous phases and it combines Beneficiary-specific and regional actions.

It enables the Beneficiaries to meet their reform agendas in the fields of human rights, rule of law and democracy and to comply with European standards, which is also a priority for the EU enlargement process.

Themes covered by the Horizontal Facility include:

strengthening justice
fighting corruption, economic crime and money laundering
promoting anti-discrimination and protection of the rights of vulnerable groups (including LGBTI, minorities and Roma) and
promoting and protecting freedom of expression and media

The Expertise Co-ordination Mechanism that provides legislative expertise and policy advice within the Council of Europe system remains also an important part of the programme available to all Beneficiaries.

The Horizontal Facility relies on the Council of Europe’s unique working methods, whereby tailor-made technical co-operation activities are based on conclusions and recommendations of the Council of Europe’s monitoring bodies highlight areas where improvements are needed in legislation and policies of the Beneficiaries to comply with the Organisation’s treaties and other standards.