OSCE-supported seminar agrees co-operation modalities to improve identification of human trafficking victims in Ukraine

KYIV, 15 October 2015 – Inter-agency co-operation between law enforcers and social service providers to improve the identification of human trafficking victims is the focus of a two-day workshop, which started today with the support of the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine.

More than 140 social service providers, law enforcement officers and civil society activists from Ukraine gathered to discuss more effective ways of identifying and assisting people who have suffered from various forms of modern-day slavery.

“Victim identification remains one of the biggest global challenges,” said Madina Jarbussynova, OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings. “Few officials are able to identify a victim, regardless of whether they work in law enforcement, migration, borders or labour inspections. And, only a small number of NGOs have the means to conduct proper identification but they are often not recognized as important stakeholders that can carry out this essential service.”

During the workshop, participants will discuss a draft joint order of the Ukrainian Ministries of Social Policy and Interior on exchanging information during the process of identifying trafficking victims. They will also discuss a draft model co-operation agreement between regional NGOs and respective social protection departments in the field of combating trafficking in human beings.

“Despite existing achievements, the quality of victim identification and referral between law enforcers and social service providers still affects the effectiveness of the anti-trafficking National Referral Mechanism (NRM), and I hope that this workshop will conclude in practical recommendations on how to improve this,”said Vaidotas Verba, OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine.

Participants will focus on streamlining national anti-trafficking efforts amid the ongoing reforms to the criminal justice system as well as the upcoming de-centralisation plans. A separate session will be devoted to analysing anti-trafficking as part of the National Action Plan for Human Rights.

The Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine is supporting the Ukrainian Ministry of Social Policy in strengthening the NRM in 13 regions of the country.  Since August 2012, 113 people across Ukraine have been granted the status of human trafficking victim.

The seminar is being held ahead of European Anti-Trafficking Day, and is part of the Project Co-ordinator’s project on helping to prevent and prosecute cases of trafficking in human beings and cybercrime.