Prevention of human trafficking in Kyrgyzstan focus of OSCE-supported discussion

BISHKEK, 30 September 2015 – The Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry in co-operation with the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, and its Osh field office held today a roundtable discussion on importance of co-operation and partnerships in prevention of human trafficking in the country.

The event brought together 30 Kyrgyz public officials as well as diplomats, representatives of international organizations and non-governmental organizations. The participants discussed importance of co-operation with countries of the victims origin as Kyrgyzstan, in order to properly assess the situation, property identify victims and propose reintegration plan.

“Being an intrinsically hidden crime, human trafficking is an underestimated threat whose dynamics deceive even alternative observers,” said Ambassador Sergey Kapinos, the Head of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek. “Foreign consulates have critical role to play in preventing and detecting cases both at origin as well as at destination.”

The participating diplomats shared information on actions undertaken by their Embassies and organizations towards prevention and counteraction to trafficking in human beings, while public officials of Kyrgyzstan got the opportunity to learn about prevention programmes, protection of victims and prosecution of criminals engaged in this illegal business in other countries.

The OSCE has a number of international platforms to facilitate inter-agency co-operation between countries of origin and countries of destination of trafficked victims.

“The OSCE Centre in Bishkek invested additional efforts this year to establish an inter-agency platform for action in Kyrgyzstan,” said Kapinos.

The current event is organized as part of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek Human Dimension project on comprehensive model of prevention, which envisages addressing human trafficking in Kyrgyzstan through multi-agency cooperation.