The action “Strengthening anti-trafficking action in Serbia” aims at strengthening prevention of trafficking in human beings, identification, and protection of victims of trafficking, prosecution and conviction of traffickers, and access to remedies for victims of trafficking.
It is implemented within the joint programme of the European Union and the Council of Europe “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”, running from 2023 - 2026.
What is the goal and objective of the action?
To support the implementation of recommendations resulting from the monitoring of the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings by Serbia and the implementation of the EU Strategy on Combatting Trafficking in Human Beings 2021-2025, by strengthening the capacities of public institutions, practitioners and civil society organisations to prevent trafficking and protect victims
Who benefits from the action?
- Ministry of Interior - National Anti-trafficking Co-ordination Office, Ministry of Employment, Labour, Veteran and Social Affairs - Labour Inspectorate, Centre for Human Trafficking Victims’ Protection, Ministry of Education, Ombudsperson’s Office, Ministry of Justice, Judicial Academy, Prosecutor’s Office and Bar Association
- civil society organisations
- businesses, trade unions, employment agencies
- victims of trafficking and persons most at risk (children, women and Roma)
How does the action work?
- it uses tailormade capacity-building for the detection and investigation of human trafficking, and response to the needs of victims and persons at risk
- it provides expertise, practical tools and guides, peer exchanges
- it applies multi-sector co-operation among key anti-trafficking institutions and civil society organisations, as well as the Council of Europe human-rights based, gender and child-sensitive approach
- it builds on results of the previous two phases of the Horizontal Facility programme: action “Preventing and combating trafficking in human beings in Serbia” (2016 – 2019) and action “Preventing and combating trafficking in human beings in Serbia” (2019 – 2022)
What do we expect to achieve?
- improved monitoring and reporting on trafficking in human beings
- improved access to justice and remedies for victims of trafficking
- enhanced prevention and action against labour trafficking
- enhanced prevention and action against child trafficking
What is the budget of the action?
The total budget of the action is 1 000 000 EUR.
The budget allocated to the overall Horizontal Facility programme amounts to ca. 41 Million EUR (85% funded by the European Union, 15% by the Council of Europe).
How to get more information?
About Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye
The “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye” is a joint initiative of the European Union and the Council of Europe that enables the Western Balkans Beneficiaries and Türkiye to meet their reform agendas in the fields of human rights, rule of law and democracy and to comply with the European standards, which is also a priority for the EU enlargement process.
