The OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Kari Johnstone, concluded her official visit to Kazakhstan today. During the visit, she engaged government officials, law enforcement, civil society, and young leaders in a determined effort to disrupt trafficking networks that increasingly exploit digital technologies to target vulnerable people. The visit features high-level policy engagement, youth empowerment, and hands-on training for criminal justice to strengthen Kazakhstan's response to this heinous crime.
"Human traffickers exploit technology faster than any single institution can respond alone, which means our defense against tech-facilitated trafficking cannot rest on law enforcement alone. It demands a whole-of-society approach, uniting governments, youth, the private sector, civil society, and other international partners in a collective, dynamic response," said Special Representative Johnstone.
Johnstone has led high-level meetings in Astana to reinforce Kazakhstan's legislative and operational fight against trafficking. She met with officials from the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Supreme Court, the Office of the Human Rights Commissioner, and Member of Parliament Marat Bashimov of the Mazhilis Committee on Legislation and Judicial-Legal Reform. She also joined a roundtable with international and anti-trafficking organizations at the OSCE Programme Office in Astana.
Youth lead the change against trafficking
On 16 June, Johnstone delivered opening remarks at "Young Ambassadors for Combating Human Trafficking: Youth Leadership in Human Trafficking Prevention" in Astana. The event featured seven thematic sessions on recognizing trafficking risks, legal frameworks, peer communication, social media safety, and survivor testimonies. Participants who completed the programme received certificates as newly designated Youth Anti-Trafficking Ambassadors.
Training the trainers: Equipping law enforcement to confront online trafficking
With internet penetration at 92.3% and social media use at 71.5%, gaps in digital literacy, especially among youth, leave many exposed to online exploitation. The OSCE Office of the Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, together with the OSCE Programme Office in Astana, delivered a National Training of Trainers (ToT) on proactive online investigations at the Law Enforcement Academy of the Prosecutor General's Office in Kosshy City, Akmola region. The training, Addressing technology-facilitated human trafficking in Kazakhstan, equips Kazakhstani criminal justice practitioners with advanced skills to detect, investigate, and prevent digital trafficking, based on the OSCE's new Model Curriculum for investigating tech-facilitated trafficking. Participants were trained in the use of specialized investigative tools and online risk mapping, including following the money and victim-centered approaches to tackle this crime. Trainers included experts from OSCE, Kazakhstan, the Netherlands, Sweden, Poland, and the UK.
The Office of the Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings supports OSCE participating States in developing and implementing comprehensive anti-trafficking policies and laws. The Office works with governments, law enforcement agencies, civil society organizations, and international partners to prevent trafficking in human beings, protect victims, and prosecute perpetrators across the OSCE region.
