OSCE supports working group meeting on social standards for human trafficking victims in Kazakhstan

The OSCE Programme Office in Astana supported the final meeting of the interdepartmental working group established with the aim to develop standards of social services for victims of human trafficking that was held in Almaty on 24 April 2015.

Some 20 members of the group representing the Ministries of Internal Affairs, Health Care and Social Development, Education and Science as well as international and non-governmental organizations from across the country discussed the draft document on social standards for victims of human trafficking in line with current national legislation. It defines the scope and requirements for the conditions and procedures for state and non-governmental organizations providing to victims social services, including temporary shelter,

The group focused on the tasks and functions of organizations that provide special social services for victims of trafficking, conditions of admission, forms of identification, the minimum standard of care and services to be provided by an organization to victims and social services to the victims who consented to file a criminal case.

The draft from the working group will be submitted with a budgetary plan to the Minister of Healthcare and Social Development for final approval at the beginning of May.

The meeting is part of the Office’s multiyear efforts to assist the host authorities and civil society in combating and preventing trafficking in human beings and in providing social services to victims of cruel treatment.