OSCE Mission to Moldova holds seminar to foster partnership and co-operation in fight against human trafficking
CHISINAU, 29 May 2009 - The OSCE Mission to Moldova, jointly with the OSCE Secretariat's Strategic Police Matters Unit, concluded a three-day seminar today on identifying, assisting and protecting human trafficking victims.
Participants, including judges and prosecutors from the General Prosecutor's office and investigators from the Interior Ministry's Centre to Combat Trafficking in Persons, discussed how to best use the National Referral System, which was adopted by the Moldovan government in December 2008.
The National Referral System lays out a structure that aims to ensure that trafficking victims are identified and assisted.
Experts from Lithuania shared experiences with participants from the Moldovan government, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the anti-trafficking non-governmental organization La Strada Moldova and the OSCE.
"With an emphasis on partnership, co-ordination and the sharing of experiences between countries with a common past and a common problem, the seminar helps strengthen the fight against human trafficking in the region," said Ambassador Philip Remler, the Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova.
Judith Hale, Senior Anti-Trafficking and Gender Adviser of the Mission, added:
"The seminar helped orient key law enforcement agents about victims' rights and services that support successful investigations and prosecutions and to identify gaps in Moldova's new National Referral System."
The OSCE has worked in partnership with IOM, La Strada and other organizations to develop and promote National Referral Mechanisms throughout the OSCE region to better identify and assist victims and potential human trafficking victims.