OSCE anti-trafficking Co-ordinator notes progress in key areas, but sees gaps, during official visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina

The acting OSCE Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Ruth Freedom Pojman, noted the progress made and continuing shortfalls in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s (BiH) efforts to fight modern-day slavery, at the conclusion of an official visit from 2-6 March 2014.

Pojman praised the authorities on the adoption of a State Strategy and Action Plan for 2013-2015, and the adoption of amendments to the criminal legislation in Brčko and Republika Srpska. She urged the legislature in FBiH to adopt the Law on Amending the Criminal Code, in order to harmonize legislation across all levels in the country.

She encouraged the authorities to properly implement these important legal and policy tools by securing adequate financial and human resources to combat human trafficking, including the provision of free legal aid to potential and actual victims, to prevent and better respond to child trafficking, and to prevent and counter trafficking for labour exploitation by improving the capacity of all relevant actors. She highlighted the importance of working with labour inspectors in the identification of labour exploitation, monitoring private employment agencies, and combating fraudulent recruitment.

Pojman took note of the efforts of the State Prosecution in the ongoing investigation of the SerbAz case which is close to an end.  She called on the police and prosecution to enhance co-operation on the investigation and prosecution of human trafficking cases at all levels, as well as to continue to conduct related financial investigations, to seize assets of alleged traffickers, and to ensure access to justice for trafficked persons, including compensation.

“Around the OSCE region, low numbers of victims reported does not necessarily indicate an overall decline in trafficking in human beings. A decade ago BiH reported high numbers of foreign victims trafficked for sexual exploitation. Now there are mainly domestic victims,” Pojman said. “It is critical to proactively investigate all forms of trafficking, especially for child begging, and trafficking for labour exploitation of BiH citizens.”

During her five-day visit to take stock of achievements made by BiH authorities since the June 2012 country visit, the OSCE Co-ordinator met a range of key anti-trafficking stakeholders from government and civil society in Sarajevo and Banja Luka including the BiH State Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking, Samir Rizvo; the Assistant Minister for Human Rights and Refugees, Saliha Duderija; parliamentarians in FBiH, and the Republika Srpska Minister of Internal Affairs, Radislav Jovičić, and the entity’s Assistant Minister of Social Protection Ljubo Lepir

Pojman also met with a number of NGOs, including Novi Put, Medica Zenica, Caritas, Otaharin, Nova generacija, Udružene žene, Vaša Prava and Novi Početak, to discuss challenges in the identification and protection of victims, especially for child begging and labour exploitation, the need for free legal aid and issues relating to an alleged case of trafficked construction workers in Azerbaijan.

“In the current economic crisis, with increased labour migration, it is important to investigate all potential cases of human trafficking, such as those mentioned in Azerbaijan and Sochi, Russian Federation, and Qatar, during the course of the visit,” she said.