Determined, co-ordinated multi-stakeholder response needed to tackle child trafficking, 17th Alliance against Trafficking in Persons concludes

Vienna, 4 April 2017 –OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings Madina Jarbussynova brought the 17th high-level conference of the Alliance against Trafficking in Persons to a close today by urging all participants to adopt a regional and multi-stakeholder response to better combat child trafficking and secure the best interests of all children, regardless of status or background.

The two-day event entitled Trafficking in Children and the Best Interests of the Child focused especially on child trafficking in the context of migration. “Children on the move deserve to be protected from violence, exploitation and abuse on their journeys,” said OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier, opening the conference.

Further opening remarks were provided by Special Representative Jarbussynova and Austrian Secretary-General for Foreign Affairs Michael Linhart on behalf of the 2017 OSCE Chairmanship, followed by a message from Pope Francis delivered by the Under-Secretary in the Migrants and Refugees Section of the Vatican, Fr. Michael Czerny S.J.. “The formation of partnerships to fight trafficking must be based on recognition of the contribution that each partner can offer, according to the abilities and skills of each”, he said.  

A multi-stakeholder approach is the only viable response to complex transnational trafficking rings, speakers at the conference agreed. Many called for child protection systems to be harmonized, strengthened and adjusted to large influxes and crisis contexts. Commending the Italian parliament for recently passing a bill safeguarding the rights of unaccompanied migrant children, Jarbussynova stated that “trafficked migrant children who are not eligible for refugee status should be given temporary residency, regardless of their possible involvement in criminal activities, and considered for permanent residence on humanitarian or compassionate grounds”.

The event was attended by over 350 participants from across the 57 OSCE participating States and 11 Partners for Co-operation, including representatives of major international organizations, NGOs, academia, civil society, trade unions, think-tanks and the media, all sharing the common goal of comprehensively addressing all aspects of child trafficking.

Since the establishment of the OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings and the adoption of the OSCE Action Plan, the Alliance conference has been a platform for addressing new trends and patterns in human trafficking. This year proved no different, with participants analysing case-studies and exchanging good practices with a view to developing integrated and expert recommendations to be shared amongst Alliance partners, inform upcoming UN forums, and aid participating States in implementing their OSCE anti-trafficking commitments.

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