OSCE issues Commentary to its Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings

A publication that clarifies the most challenging issues in the OSCE’s anti-trafficking Action Plan and its Addendums was issued on 17 December 2015 by the OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Madina Jarbussynova.

The Commentary to the OSCE Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings examines the anti-trafficking commitments agreed by the OSCE’s participating States at annual meetings of the Ministerial Council from 2000-2013.

“The Commentary places the Action Plan and the OSCE anti-trafficking commitments within the context of international and regional legal obligations and will be extremely useful in helping all participating States produce and enforce legislation to fight this crime,” the Special Representative said.

The comprehensive document covers a wide range of issues in its five chapters, including an analysis of the OSCE’s human rights-based approach to combating human trafficking, a detailed description of the 2005 and 2013 Addendums, as well as an overview of the Organization’s role in providing assistance to the 57 participating States.

“A forthcoming Russian translation of this publication will make this work more accessible to Russian speakers across the OSCE region and allow them to adjust their national legislation to fight new developments, such as the use of the Internet as a tool to entrap human trafficking victims,” Jarbussynova said.

The English-language version of the publication is available online on the OSCE website and in hard copy.