On the occasion of European Anti-Trafficking Day, 18 October, the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, together with the Office of the OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings (OSR/CTHB), organized a conference in Sarajevo to raise awareness and promote stronger action against trafficking in human beings.
Bringing together representatives from the private sector, labour inspectorates, law enforcement, civil society, international organizations, and the diplomatic community, the conference emphasized shared responsibility and coordinated action to apply human rights due diligence and prevent trafficking and labour exploitation in supply chains.
"The OSCE has long recognized that combating trafficking in human beings requires a whole-of-society approach. This means that preventing trafficking in supply chains demands close co-operation among all relevant stakeholders. No actor can succeed alone," said Ambassador Rick Holtzapple, Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina. "The private sector, national authorities, international organizations, civil society, and consumers each have a unique role to play in ensuring that supply chains are free from labour exploitation."
Forced labour is a transnational problem deeply embedded in complex global supply chains, and no country can tackle it in isolation. Fabian Bonertz, Senior Advisor at the Office of the OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, emphasized that recent developments in due diligence and forced labour regulations-such as those emerging from the European Union and other global frameworks-reflect a growing international commitment to ethical supply chains. "For countries seeking to enhance their trade standing, aligning with these standards offers not only moral but also market advantages. It's not only the right thing to do; it's smart business," Bonertz said.
Highlighting Bosnia and Herzegovina's national efforts, Ermin Pešto, State Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings and Illegal Migration at the Ministry of Security of BiH, noted: "Bosnia and Herzegovina is at the beginning of the process of adopting a systemic approach to this issue. The Strategy for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, adopted by the Council of Ministers of BiH, foresees specific measures that we will implement in the coming period. A special focus will be on the involvement of government institutions, such as public procurement agencies and labour inspectorates, as well as chambers of commerce and the private sector, in order to create a comprehensive and sustainable response to this problem."
The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina will continue working with partners to strengthen prevention, enhance protection mechanisms, and promote ethical and transparent business practices that safeguard human rights and dignity.
