OSCE Office in Yerevan

Anti-trafficking

The OSCE Office in Yerevan assists the Armenian Government in its efforts to combat human trafficking, and to develop anti-trafficking policies and mechanisms to protect and assist victims. The Office's activities are currently focused on developing a national referral mechanism (NRM) and improving anti-trafficking training for Armenia's law enforcement bodies. It also co-chairs the International Working Group on Anti-Trafficking - an informal forum for exchanging information on anti-trafficking developments - with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the International Labor Organization (ILO).

National referral mechanism

As part of a European Commission (EC) funded project to develop a comprehensive anti-trafficking response in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, the Office, together with the ILO and the International Centre for Migration Policy Development, is responsible for supporting the development of a formalized NRM (a co-operative framework through which state actors fulfil their obligations to protect and promote the human rights of trafficked persons, co-ordinating their efforts in a strategic partnership with civil society) in Armenia. This NRM will be developed during 2007-08 by a national working group consisting of members of Armenia's Anti-Trafficking Inter-Agency Commission.

Anti-trafficking training for law enforcement

Also as part of the EC project, the Office, together with the UNDP, is supporting an assessment of the anti-trafficking training needs of Armenia's law enforcement bodies. The aim is to develop the curricula of Armenia's law-enforcement training institutions to include relevant aspects of human trafficking. Domestic and international experiences and best practices will be used to develop curricula that are adapted to Armenia's current situation.

Labour migration surveys

The Office assists the Government in improving the legislative and administrative framework related to migration. It has supported two surveys (in 2005 and 2007) on trends in labour migration, as well as an assessment of migration legislation, published in 2007. The latter study analyzes migration legislation and the migration regime in Armenia, highlighting gaps and recommending ways for improvement on the basis of international best practices.

Migration management

Following the recent revision of Armenia's migration strategy and legislation, the Office is focusing on building the capacity of Armenia's migration management structures. These activities will be based on the results of the two labour migration surveys and the migration legislation review.