Shining a light on trafficking in human beings in Tajikistan
Shining a light on trafficking in human beings in Tajikistan
Between 8-10 June 2015 the OSCE’s Special Representative on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Ambassador Madina Jarbussynova, visited Tajikistan for the first time since her mandate began.
1. Ambassador Jarbussynova, you were appointed to the position in September 2014. What do you hope to achieve in your tenure as Special Representative?
My mandate calls for me to focus on three core areas:
- To represent the OSCE at the political level, raising the public and political profile of combating all forms of human trafficking;
- To assist participating States, at their request, in fulfilling the relevant OSCE commitments and the recommendations of the OSCE Action Plan;
- To co-ordinate anti-trafficking efforts within the OSCE and to co-operate with national authorities, civil society and relevant international actors.
More specifically I plan to:
- Improve victim identification and assistance;
- Strengthen the criminal justice response, and;
- Enhance prevention of human trafficking.
My visit to Tajikistan this week is an excellent way to engage with high level government representatives to increase the priority given to combating trafficking in human beings at the national level. This trip is one of my important goals for 2015.
I have made a similar country visit to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and a trip to Turkey is planned for the second half of the year. Following such visits, my Office issues an official country visit report which contains tailor-made recommendations for enhancing efforts to combat human trafficking.
2. You are the first person from Central Asia to hold this position. How do you think your background has informed your approach to the role?
As a citizen of Kazakhstan, the Central Asian region is very close to my heart. I grew up in Almaty, and I have worked there, as well as in Astana, for many years. This allowed me to travel widely in the region and observe the progress made by Central Asian states in recent decades. As Special Representative, I work on behalf of all 57 participating States in the OSCE, so I am very pleased to represent all of these nations here in Dushanbe today and evaluate the type of assistance we can provide.
Issues seen in the region, such as trafficking for labour exploitation, are a priority for our Office, and I look forward to working together with local representatives to eliminate such abuses.
Ambassador Madina Jarbussynova
Ambassador Madina Jarbussynova of Kazakhstan is the OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, and represents the OSCE at the political level in anti-trafficking issues. She took office in September 2014.
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3. After your first visit to Tajikistan, how would you characterize the problem of trafficking in human beings in the country?
In Tajikistan, as in many other countries, trafficking in human beings often takes the form of sexual exploitation or forced labor, within the country or abroad.
Tajikistan is mainly a country of origin for victims exploited abroad both for sexual and labour exploitation. It is important to note that many cases of human trafficking occur through regular channels of labour migration in particular in destination countries.
Signing bilateral agreements with destination countries is, therefore, of particular importance, increasing co-operation between them as well as improving the protection and safe return of victims.
But other forms of trafficking can also be found such as domestic servitude, forced begging etc…
Women, men and children can be victims of those forms of trafficking.
Authorities are also investigating links between trafficking and the recruitment of young people to join fighters in terrorist organizations abroad.
4. After your discussions with the Government, what is the main priority area in this issue you feel really needs to be addressed?
I believe that specific awareness-raising activities should target the most vulnerable people in the country, including potential migrants as well as school and university and students, in order to prevent trafficking situations.
However, identification of victims is one of the biggest challenges in the country, and therefore capacity building and strong co-operation among all stakeholders is crucial. This includes the involvement of law enforcement agencies but also NGOs, diplomats as well as social workers and labour inspectors.
A strong criminal justice response to improve law enforcement bodies’ capacities to successfully investigate, prosecute and convict traffickers is also essential.
This does not preclude having a human rights-centred approach. Protection and assistance to victims, regardless of their status or willingness to co-operate with law enforcement agencies, remains a priority. This includes the full implementation of victims’ rights and in particular of the non-punishment clause for victims of trafficking who should not be punished for acts committed as a consequence of their trafficking situation.
I have some specific concerns about the future of the shelters in Dushanbe and Khujand after September 2015 when they will no longer receive international funding. The Government should consider taking over this activity or dedicate specific funding for NGOs to continue to provide assistance services to victims.
5. Civil society is often active in the prevention and rehabilitation of human trafficking victims. After your visit to Tajikistan, how do you see the role of NGOs in tackling the problem?
The role of NGOs in Tajikistan, as in other countries, is essential at many different levels. It should not be limited to assistance and rehabilitation activities, but they should be officially and fully included in the identification process of victims as well as in prevention activities with school and university students.
Often, victims tend to trust civil society representatives more than law enforcement agencies, especially when first making contact to report trafficking cases. Identification and further referral and assistance require a multidisciplinary approach to be efficient, and many NGOs have the capacity to be equally involved in this mechanism. Obviously, to implement such activities, authorities should secure sufficient funding to provide quality identification and assistance services.
6. What situations could increase risk of becoming victims of trafficking?
Trafficking cases can happen to anyone, however some people are definitely at greater risk: this is the case with abandoned wives, victims of domestic violence, sexually abused girls, sex workers, disabled and mentally handicapped people, orphans, unaccompanied minors, or poorly educated people. According to professionals, there is an outstanding need to develop mass campaigns to inform populations of all forms of trafficking, including men exploited for labour.
Of course, poverty and discrimination are major risk factors that foster exploitation.
7. During your visit you met with a wide range of partners from among the government circles as well as the NGO and donor community active in combating trafficking in human beings. What do you see as the OSCE’s added value to the current efforts?
Our added value is clear: it is our close contact with government officials from each participating State, who are working actively in Vienna to help the Organization achieve its strategic goals. These officials, in turn, can liaise with their colleagues in the capitals and facilitate visits such as this one.
In addition, the OSCE benefits from the presence of field missions, which further reinforce the close relationship between the Organization and its participating States. We have been active in Tajikistan for several decades, and this has allowed us to build up a network of contacts that provides us with access to the country’s core decision makers.
Anti-trafficking experts from the OSCE’s human dimension can share best practices with participating States in trainings, seminars and conferences, such as our upcoming Alliance conference at the Hofburg in Vienna on July 6th and 7th.