Publications

This publication of the OSCE Presence in Albania offers guidance for the child protection workers and any other stakeholder that works with trafficked children on how to provide immediate and long-term protection to every child victim of trafficking and exploitation. It is part of the project “Strengthening Albania’s law-enforcement and prosecution capacities and multi-agency co-operation in combatting trafficking in human beings”, funded by the United Kingdom, Norway and Italy.

This guide offers recommendations and instructions on the implementation of the National Referral Mechanism for Victims of Trafficking in Albania.

The mandate of the OSCE Presence in Albania is to promote democratization, the rule of law, and human rights as well as to consolidate democratic institutions in line with OSCE principles, standards and commitments.

This Report Update provides a short overview of the core values and unique methodology of the OSCE Office of the Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, a recap of its projects and activities in 2023, and a preview of priority areas for 2024.

This paper provides an overview of the existing links between disability and trafficking in human beings, how persons living with disability are affected by trafficking, and to what extent legal standards, policy frameworks, and anti-trafficking measures integrate concerns associated with disabilities. This analysis is approached from four distinct perspectives: disability as an enhanced vulnerability factor that traffickers target; disability as a feature of exploitation; disability as a result of trafficking and exploitation; and disability of trafficking survivors as a factor in accessing justice, protection, employment, health, and rehabilitation services. Finally, the paper presents a series of recommendations and potential strategies aimed at elevating awareness and prioritizing the disability dimension within efforts to combat human trafficking.

First-line responders are the first point of contact and information for people requiring assistance in migration and humanitarian crises. While driven by good intentions, some, particularly new civil society organizations, volunteers, and other supporters, might lack knowledge and experience in the context, including as it relates to the risks of trafficking in human beings. To address this gap, the Office of the OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings developed a Code of Conduct that suggests some key steps to be undertaken by first-line responders to ensure that their staff is sensitized to the risks of human trafficking and does not unintendedly contribute to endangering the beneficiaries or colleagues.

Capacity-building of relevant stakeholders, particularly those working on the front lines of humanitarian crises, is a key component of participating States’ anti-trafficking response. To support counterparts to minimize risks of human trafficking and work proactively to identify and assist victims, several international and non-governmental organizations have developed and are providing a number of training opportunities. The OSR/CTHB, through this resource, aims to facilitate access of related actors to such opportunities by compiling training courses and modules- that are readily available to or can be requested by authorities and organizations operating on the ground- on several issues connected with addressing trafficking in human beings in the context of the humanitarian crisis generated by the war against Ukraine.

As migration and humanitarian crises always demonstrate, first-line responders are the first point of contact and information for people requiring assistance. Having a variety of occupations, ranging from civil society organizations to international relief agencies and international organizations, their priority, in particular within the reception setting, is to attend to people’s immediate needs, such as food, accommodation, and medical care. Their capacity is often overstretched, and they may not have specialized anti-trafficking knowledge and expertise. To address this gap, the Office of the OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings developed an awareness-raising brief that would sensitize first-line responders to human trafficking risks, provide information on THB signs and indicators and on how to address presumed cases in a gender-sensitive, age-appropriate and trauma-informed manner.

This manual aims to provide trainers with a step-by-step nature guide on how to organize mock trials in Albania in the criminal cases of trafficking of human beings.

The novelty of this guide conceptualized for the for Albanian judges and prosecutors is the focus on the interdisciplinary approach that should address any training on human trafficking in the context of the challenges faced by Albanian magistrates in human trafficking crimes.