Second OSCE Russian-language live exercise to fight human trafficking for responders from Europe and Asia kicks off in Nur-Sultan
NUR-SULTAN, 24 June 2019 – An OSCE-organized week-long simulation exercise on how to identify and rescue victims of human trafficking kicks off today at the Regional Hub for Countering Global Threats in Nur-Sultan. More than 70 professionals from law enforcement, labour inspectorates, border and migration authorities, prosecutorial offices, NGOs and public social services from 17 OSCE participating States are participating in the live-action training.
Delivered for the second time in the Russian language, this training exercise offers front-line responders the opportunity to simulate real-life anti-trafficking responses, using live actors to create trafficking scenarios. Fictitious brothels, a construction site, an agricultural field and border crossing points have been re-created to simulate cases of human trafficking for labour and sexual exploitation, including child victims.
“The fact that we are offering this training opportunity for the second time within a span of less than one year is a clear indication of the interest from the OSCE participating States in enhancing their capacity to combat human trafficking in the spirit of co-operation and partnership,” said Valiant Richey, OSCE Acting Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings. “This time we have further diversified the professional profile of the participants by including border guards and cultural mediators whose expertise is simply indispensable to the effective fight against human trafficking and adequate assistance to its victims.”
Ergali Merzadinov, Rector of the Law Enforcement Academy under the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Kazakhstan noted the relevance of implementing this educational exercise to enhance the fight against modern threats and challenges: “Kazakhstan pays special attention to strengthening regional and international security. Trafficking in human beings has become largely a transnational problem with a high level of social danger.”
“In order to ensure a successful response to this threat, it is necessary to maintain close co-operation and systematic work of the responsible agencies from our countries as well as to create effective mechanisms for identification of the crime. I believe this joint live simulation training and the development of common approaches to pressing issues will improve the effectiveness of work on prevention and detection of criminal acts,” he underlined.
This project is part of ongoing efforts by the Office of the OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings to facilitate better identification and assistance of trafficking victims through a new, multi-national and cross-sectoral approach.
The simulation exercise in Nur-Sultan, supported by the OSCE field operations, including the OSCE Programme Office in Nur-Sultan, follows five similar exercises in Vicenza, Italy and one in Kazakhstan. A further exercise will be conducted in Vicenza in September 2019.