Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye

Back Roma health mediators strengthen their skills to prevent child trafficking

Mona ALGHAITH

Modified 8 Days ago.

Roma health mediators strengthen their skills to prevent child trafficking

Roma health mediators across Serbia are better equipped to recognise early signs that a child or family may be at risk of trafficking and know where to turn for help, following a capacity building session focused on preventing trafficking in human beings.

With regular access to Roma communities and direct contact with children, women and families, Roma health mediators can play an important role in identifying vulnerabilities early. Thirty mediators strengthened their practical knowledge of trafficking risks, warning signs and appropriate responses, including how to use available support and referral mechanisms.

According to data from the Centre for Human Trafficking Victims’ Protection, 75 victims were formally identified in Serbia in 2025, including children in 41% of cases. Identified forms of exploitation included labour and sexual exploitation, as well as forced marriage, forced begging and forced criminal activities.

The session was opened by Nenad Simić, National Anti-Trafficking Co-ordinator, who highlighted the importance of strengthening prevention and early identification of trafficking, particularly among children and communities exposed to increased risks of exploitation.

The session was facilitated by national experts Marijana Savić and Lidija Đorđević from the civil society organisation Atina, with contributions from representatives of the Ministry of the Interior and the Centre for the Protection of Victims of Trafficking in Human Beings.

The activity was organised by the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of the Interior and the Action “Strengthening anti-trafficking action in Serbia”, implemented within the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”, and contributes to the implementation of Serbia’s Action Plan 2024–2026 for the implementation of the Programme for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings 2024–2029.

The training also responds to GRETA’s recommendation to further involve Roma health mediators in the prevention and detection of trafficking in Roma communities and strengthen their capacity through targeted training.

Zlatibor 11 September 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.