OSCE Special Representative Johnstone welcomes France’s collaborative efforts in the fight against trafficking in human beings

PARIS, 5 July 2024 – Kari Johnstone, the OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Human Trafficking, concluded her two-day visit to France yesterday. At the invitation of French national authorities, she engaged in constructive discussions with government officials, anti-trafficking stakeholders and civil society organizations.

During her visit, Johnstone commended France's collaborative efforts led by the Interministerial Mission for the Protection of Women Against Violence and the Fight Against Human Trafficking (MIPROF). She also emphasized initiatives such as dedicated training organized with the National Magistrate School (ENM) to address human trafficking risks in the context of the upcoming 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Special Representative welcomed innovative partnerships to engage the hospitality sector in the fight against trafficking in human beings.

Discussions also focused on the establishment of the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) and the importance of adequately resourced services not conditioned on victims’ co-operation with law enforcement, and the social path approach to improve victim identification involving many stakeholders like civil society, social workers, educators, and healthcare professionals. The Special Representative offered the OSCE’s technical assistance to advance these centrally important components of effective anti-trafficking efforts. 

Meetings with the Ministry of Interior’s Central Office for the Repression of Trafficking in Human Beings (OCRTEH) and the Central Office for Combating Illegal Employment (OCLTI) covered issues ranging from the growing phenomenon of sexual exploitation of minors placed in institutions, to the multi-disciplinary approach to labour investigations.

“France has been leading the way with the establishment of Human Trafficking Focal Points and labour inspectors’ enhanced investigative power,” said Dr. Johnstone. “I encourage France to spread this promising practice that has the potential to significantly strengthen the labour inspectors’ mandate and effectively fight labour trafficking.”

With representatives of the Ministry of Justice, the Special Representative raised concerns about victim compensation mechanisms, the prosecution of online sex trafficking such as webcamming, and targeting the demand that fosters the sexual exploitation of minors.

Interactions with the National Consultative Commission on Human Rights and civil society representatives provided valuable insights into areas for improvement. Specific concerns were raised about the scarcity of funding to ensure full access to services for all trafficking victims, including housing, mental health and addiction services, and legal gaps to address tech-facilitated trafficking and the challenges of collecting reliable data.

“My visit underscored France's global leadership and domestic challenges in combating trafficking in human beings,” said Dr. Johnstone. “I reaffirmed the OSCE’s steadfast commitment to supporting France's efforts in addressing identified challenges and capacity-building of anti-trafficking stakeholders to prevent all forms of trafficking, protect all victims, and hold traffickers criminally accountable.”