OSCE Centre in Bishkek supports Kyrgyzstan's action plan to combat human trafficking

BISHKEK, 7 July 2011 – The OSCE Centre in Bishkek and other international organizations supported a meeting on the development of a new national action plan to combat human trafficking today.

The Third National Action Plan on Combating Trafficking in Persons will guide the country's work in the field until 2015. At today's meeting, members of the working group for the plan discussed the implementation of the current action plan, which has been in place since 2008. Representatives of non-governmental organizations and independent experts also took part.

The meeting was hosted by the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Migration and organized with support from the OSCE Centre in Bishkek in co-operation with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI) offices in Kyrgyzstan.

“Kyrgyzstan’s action plan on combating the trafficking of human beings is a guide for practical measures to be taken to prevent this criminal activity," said Ambassador Andrew Tesoriere, the Head of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek. "The OSCE Centre and its partners support work to create an updated plan.”

Almazbek Abytov, the Minister of Labour, Employment and Migration of Kyrgyzstan, added: “A National Action Plan that is in line with international standards is a key factor in the country's efforts to combat human trafficking. The activities of the Working Group are of crucial importance.”

The work to develop the plan is part of the Government's efforts to combat human trafficking in line with its international obligations. The OSCE Centre in Bishkek is supporting these efforts jointly with the UNODC Programme Office in Kyrgyz Republic, IOM, ABA ROLI and the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Migration of Kyrgyzstan.