Anti-trafficking

The OSCE Office in Yerevan assists the Armenian Government in its efforts to combat human trafficking. The Office's activities are currently focused on supporting state and non-governmental actors to develop a victim-oriented anti-trafficking policy and to make those recommendations a reality. The Office's anti-trafficking activities are focused on two tracks: the first is to strengthen the capacity of actors within the national referral mechanism (NRM); and the second is to improve Armenia’s anti-trafficking training curricula for law enforcement bodies. The Office co-ordinates its activities with the Anti-Trafficking Inter-Agency Working Group and co-operates with state, non-governmental, and international partners in order to support the implementation of Armenia’s Anti-Trafficking National Action Plans.

National referral mechanism

As another component of its efforts to enhance the implementation of Armenia’s Anti-Trafficking National Action Plan, the Office supports activities that contribute to the establishment of the NRM in Armenia. NRM is a co-operative framework through which state actors fulfill their obligations to protect and promote the human rights of trafficked persons and co-ordinate their efforts in a strategic partnership with civil society. As a result of the Office’s involvement in this area, the capacity of NRM actors across Armenia has improved. The result of OSCE’s engagement is improved protection of victims of both sex and labour trafficking.

Strengthening law enforcement anti-trafficking capacity

In collaboration with European and international stakeholders, the Office has supported the preparation and publication of a manual which prepares trainers to educate governmental officials, police officers and interested individuals on combating trafficking and exploitation. Domestic and international experiences and best practices were the basis for developing these materials, which are currently being used by law enforcement training schools and academies. Thanks to a joint ILO-OSCE initiative, training on anti-trafficking is a permanent component of Armenia’s law enforcement curriculum.

Migration management

The Office continues to assist Armenia's institutions in co-ordinating with international organizations and NGOs on migration management questions. As a result of these activities, Armenia’s government is working on implementing a comprehensive Migration Management Concept and National Action Plan. OSCE support is highly appreciated by the national migration management actors. In future, the Office will provide support for co-ordination and monitoring of the NAP.