
Twenty years ago, the Council of Europe made history. On 16 May 2005, at the Warsaw Summit of Heads of State and Government, it opened for signature the first international treaty to place the protection of the rights of victims at the heart of the fight against human trafficking. Fourteen countries signed on day one. Today, all Council of Europe member States have ratified the Convention, making it a powerful and united front against one of the most serious human rights violations of our time. The Convention is open to non-member States, and Belarus and Israel have also joined it.





