OSCE Baku Office trains journalists in human trafficking reporting

BAKU, 8 February 2006 - Thirty-five journalists from different media outlets in Azerbaijan took part in a seminar on reporting on human trafficking issues, organized by the OSCE Office in Baku.

Participants in the three-day event discussed how to write stories without infringing on the rights of the victims, and ways of developing closer ties with civil society and government institutions dealing with the problem. They also met experts from different NGOs and the Interior Ministry's anti-trafficking squad.

"Azerbaijan has achieved considerable progress in developing the legal framework to fight human trafficking, as well as in developing programmes to protect victims of trafficking," said Robin Seaword, Deputy Head of the OSCE Office in Baku.

"By investigating cases and reporting on the issue, journalists can help combat this form of modern-day slavery in the country."

Vilayat Eyvazov, Deputy Interior Minister and National Anti-Trafficking Co-ordinator, said: "The Azerbaijani Government has denounced human trafficking as an extremely serious violation of human rights We will work tirelessly with other jurisdictions to ensure that the criminals are brought to justice and that sustainable progress is achieved in the fight against this phenomenon."

The seminar is part of a series of events designed by the OSCE Office in Baku in order to promote fair, accurate and in-depth media coverage of diversity related issues. Previous seminars focused on responsible media coverage of migration and domestic violence issues.