National anti-trafficking co-ordinators and rapporteurs reaffirmed their commitment to forge stronger cross-sector partnerships and integrate crisis resilience into anti-trafficking strategies at their largest annual meeting, held from 11 to 12 September at the Council of Europe headquarters in Strasbourg, France.
"Twenty-five years after the adoption of the Palermo Protocol, human trafficking is pervasive in both the digital and physical realms, as criminals adapt to exploit every crisis and vulnerability. While traffickers thrive, victims face crushing barriers to assistance and justice. This stark mismatch between the scale of the crime and our limited results demands transformative action," said Kari Johnstone, OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings.
Representatives from 54 countries across both the OSCE and Council of Europe regions and beyond discussed current human trafficking-related challenges and how to implement international legal standards set out in the Council of Europe's Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings and the OSCE political commitments.
In her opening remarks, Petya Nestorova, Executive Secretary of the Council of Europe's Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, said:
"This year marks the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, which has triggered significant changes in national legislation, policies, and practice. At the same time, new challenges and persistent gaps in the implementation of the Convention require continued commitment and increased investment in training, technological infrastructure, and victim assistance measures."
Participants discussed crisis-related provisions in National Action Plans for combating human trafficking to enhance preparedness of the national counter-trafficking mechanisms, the links between human trafficking and drugs and forced criminality, and engagement with the private sector in combating human trafficking.
The meeting was co-organized by the Office of the OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings and the Council of Europe.
