OSCE Centre supports anti-trafficking training for border guard officials and transport police

OSH, Kyrgyzstan, 17 December 2010 - An OSCE-supported training seminar for border guards, transport police officers and civil society representatives on the identification of human trafficking victims and inter-agency cooperation took place today with the support of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek.

The training course was jointly organized by the Centre and an Osh-based non-governmental organization Golden Goal. The seminar participants discussed various aspects of anti-trafficking action, including victims' identification, crime detection and inter-agency referral mechanism; shared experiences and good practices.

"Border and transport police officers are key players in the fight against trafficking in human beings," said Graziella Pavone, Human Dimension Officer of the OSCE Field Office in Osh. "The tragic events which have affected the south of the country in June left people more vulnerable, thus prone to fall easier prey to exploiters, including traffickers. Effective detection of victims, matched with dynamic inter-agency cooperation, is crucial to address this challenge. Today's seminar also offered an opportunity for frontline law enforcement officers and civil society activists to discuss main trends in human trafficking in Kyrgyzstan, which is crucial for our joint efforts in combating the crime."

Major Gulsara Ismailova from the Passport and Visa Information Department of the Border Guard Services in Osh highlighted the importance of holding such events, noting that "human trafficking is a crime difficult to detect, thus challenging to deal with. Applying victim-oriented approach can help us further increase effectiveness of our work in preventing this crime."