Europe Mainstreaming counter trafficking efforts is the priority issue for the new OSCE Special representative

Project : Regional Office 25 Mar 2010 | child trafficking exploitation labor thb

Vienna: The Alliance Expert Co-ordination Team (AECT), a consultative forum involving experts in the field of combating human trafficking, held a meeting in Vienna under the chairmanship of Maria Grazia Giammarinaro (photo), the new OSCE special representative on Tuesday March 23rd.

The primary aim of the meeting was to organize a consultation on the definition of the new priorities to be included in the work of the Special representative for the upcoming years and to give a new impetus to the alliance.

Ms. Gianmarinaro expressed her will to continue working with a Human Rights based approach to trafficking while widening the work of the office of the special representative through mainstreaming counter human trafficking activities in other policy areas.

New target areas were set for the future and include labour exploitation, child trafficking, work with the media, a continued work with National Rapporteurs and Debt bondage.

The Alliance meeting also decided to release a joint Statement on prevention of child trafficking: protection of unaccompanied children later on this year.

Representatives form NGOs, such as Terre des Hommes or Save the Children, and IGOs could also give an update on their activities. The EC representative confirmed the commission’s continuous work on the adoption of the framework decision on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting victims under the new form of a directive, while working on a directive on measures on freezing and confiscation of assets of criminals amongst which human traffickers. [PC]

(Photo: OSCE/Susanna Lööf)