OSCE Project Co-ordinator supports seminar to prevent trafficking of labour migrants' children

KYIV, 13 October 2010 - An OSCE-supported seminar that started today looks at how social workers can help protect labour migrants' children from human trafficking.

The OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine (PCU) organized the two-day national seminar jointly with the Ukrainian Ministry for Family, Youth and Sports and the International Organisation for Migration in Kyiv.

Representatives of State Social Services and Departments for Family, Youth and Sports from across the country discussed practical aspects of social work with children of labour migrants - a group vulnerable to human trafficking. Topics included the children's social environment, assistance provision, interaction with parents and co-ordination of state institutions' and non-governmental organisations' efforts. Co-operation between social service providers and specialized anti-trafficking police units to protect the children also is on the agenda.

"This seminar will help those involved recognize the problems faced by labour migrants' children, and it will serve to identify better methods to help and protect the children," said Ambassador Lubomir Kopaj, Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine.

The OSCE PCU supports Ukrainian institutions' work to address child labour and trafficking as part of a project to strengthen local authorities' capacity so that they can provide adequate assistance to victims of trafficking and their families.