OSCE brings together partners in fight against human trafficking in Ukraine

KYIV, 28 February 2002 - Two training seminars organized by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and international partners will focus on fighting trafficking in human beings in the Ukraine. The seminars, running from 28 February to 1 March, will focus on assistance to local authorities and the prosecution of traffickers.

At the end, the participants in both seminars will get together to come up with ideas for future collaboration and discuss ways of combating trafficking in their region.

The first seminar will train consultants for regional hotlines that will provide information on human trafficking. As part of the training, representatives from various countries in the region will speak about issues such as work and residence permits for foreign citizens, au-pair systems and laws regarding citizenship and marriage. This seminar is organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) with the NGO Winrock International Ukraine.

The second seminar will focus on the prosecution of traffickers. Ukrainian prosecutors, investigators and anti-trafficking police officers will receive training from international experts from Britain's Scotland Yard and the American Federal Bureau of Investigations, organized by the American Bar Association and the International Organization for Migration.

The aim of the seminars is to increase dialogue and co-operation between the various levels of regional government, law enforcement and civil society in Ukraine to support the fight agains trafficking in human beings.