OSCE Office helps establish anti-trafficking support and resource unit in Armenia

YEREVAN, 4 November 2008 - A memorandum of understanding to establish an Anti-Trafficking Support and Resource Unit was signed today by Ambassador Sergey Kapinos, Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan, and Arsen Hambardzumyan, the Armenian Minister of Labour and Social Issues.

The new unit will assist relevant national entities to fight trafficking in human beings by helping to enhance co-operation with non-governmental organizations, develop an effective strategy for victim protection and establish an operational victim referral mechanism.

"The OSCE has always been an active international actor in anti-trafficking activities in Armenia. It is our belief that this Anti-Trafficking Support and Resource Unit will contribute to effective co-ordination, data collection and information management, as well as support the Government and NGOs in improving victim protection," said Kapinos.

A steering committee consisting of staff from the new unit and representatives from the Ministry of Labour and Social Issues, the government's Working Group of the Commission on Trafficking Issues, two NGOs and the OSCE Office will be created to monitor how the project is implemented.

Arsen Hambardzumyan, the Armenian Minister of Labour and Social Issues, said: "This unit will help Armenia to implement the requirements of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, ratified by Armenia in March 2008".

The unit, established under an OSCE Office in Yerevan project funded by the Governments of France, Sweden and Germany, will also provide the necessary technical, information and human resources for co-ordinated implementation of Armenia's National Plan of Action against Trafficking.

Since 2001, the OSCE Office in Yerevan has assisted Armenian authorities and civil society to elaborate and revise legislation criminalizing trafficking and conduct assessments, as well as hold roundtable discussions and training courses to strengthen the capacity of state and non-state actors in combating trafficking.