OSCE and IOM organize seminar for consular officials in Ukraine on human trafficking
KYIV, 14 April 2005 - Identifying potential victims of human trafficking will be the topic of a seminar for 50 representatives from foreign consulates in Ukraine to be held in Kyiv on 15 April.
The seminar will tackle the growing problem of trafficking, a priority for the OSCE and its Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine.
Organized by the Project Co-ordinator and the International Organization for Migration's (IOM) Mission in Ukraine, it will help raise awareness of consular officials on anti-trafficking issues in Ukraine, focus on victim identification and offer best practices.
Speakers will include experts from international organizations, civil society as well as Ukrainian ministries.
"Experts from the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry will share information on how its consulates abroad are involved in the fight against trafficking," said Begona Pineiro, Anti-Trafficking Officer for the Project Co-ordinator's office. "The Head of the Anti-trafficking Department of the Interior Ministry will also provide information on recent cases, and the Labour Ministry will update participants on the legitimate ways Ukrainian citizens can work abroad."
The International Labour Organization and the International Women Rights Centre La Strada Ukraine will present an information guide on labour migration and anti-trafficking legislation prepared in co-operation with the OSCE.
IOM Ukraine will provide statistical information on victim profiles, countries of destination, and its victim reintegration programme, which has assisted over 2,000 victims of trafficking since 2000.
La Strada Ukraine will inform participants on the first national, toll-free hotline service in Ukraine, which provides information and support for anyone who plans to go abroad for work, marriage or other reasons.
The seminar is conducted under the framework of the EU-funded counter-trafficking project "Combating Trafficking in Human Beings in Ukraine".
The project is a component of a comprehensive national programme to address various aspects of human trafficking in Ukraine.