Human trafficking, migrant smuggling in Central Asia threaten security and human rights, says OSCE official

TASHKENT, 15 May 2008 - The need to distinguish between trafficking in human beings and human smuggling, and to tackle the crimes from both a security and human rights perspective, were emphasized at an OSCE workshop that concluded in Tashkent today.

The workshop, "Promoting Law Enforcement and Judicial Co-operation among Source, Transit and Destination Countries to Combat Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling to and from Central Asia", was organized by the OSCE Strategic Police Matters Unit, the Office of the Special Representative for Combating Human Trafficking, the Organization's Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and supported by the Uzbek authorities.

"It is important that the workshop brought together experts who are directly involved in the law enforcement co-operation to combat trafficking in human beings as it is important to approach the problem from both the security and human rights angles," said Ambassador Istvan Venczel, OSCE Project Coordinator in Uzbekistan.

Participants included government representatives and experts from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Russia, Israel, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, the United States as well as the OSCE and UNODC. The workshop aimed to improve co-operation and information exchange between investigative agencies and central authorities.

"It is important to differentiate between trafficking in human beings and human smuggling", said Ruth Pojman, Deputy Co-ordinator, Office of the Special Representative for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings at the OSCE in Vienna, Austria. "The purpose of trafficking is exploitation. It can occur without crossing a border, and it is a human rights violation, a crime against a person, whereas human smuggling is a crime against the State. "

The OSCE supports its participating States in the implementation of their commitments, especially those in the OSCE Action Plan, and holds that primary responsibility for combating trafficking in human beings lies with the State. OSCE experience shows the importance of institutionalizing anti-trafficking measures and strengthening cooperation through National Action Plans, National and Transnational Referral Mechanisms, and the creation of National Coordinators and National Rapporteurs.

The workshop was mainly financed by the Government of Norway.