Head of OSCE Centre meets authorities, opens anti-human trafficking event in western Kazakhstan

AKTAU, Kazakhstan, 23 April 2012 - The Head of the OSCE Centre in Astana Ambassador Natalia Zarudna, in Aktau on Kazakhstan’s Caspian Sea coast today, met with local authorities and civil society representatives and opened a workshop on preventing human trafficking among vulnerable groups in Kazakhstan’s regions.

She discussed with Baurzhan Mukhamedzhanov, the Akim of the Mangistau Region, co-operation on environmental, economic and rule of law issues, and visited the regional OSCE-supported Aarhus Centre and several social institutions.

Opening the two-day OSCE-supported anti-trafficking event, Zarudna said: “To help prevent trafficking of children and reduce children’s vulnerability it is important to create a protective environment. This is what the OSCE Centre tries to facilitate through working with all state actors, including educational and social services – including through events like this one today.”

Kanibek Zhumashev, the Deputy Akim of Mangistau Oblast, said: “Kazakhstan is undertaking all necessary measures to prevent trafficking in human beings.”

“Anti-trafficking training events for the staff of institutions and orphanages can contribute to the protection of children at risk.”

The seminar aims to increase regional authorities’ awareness of the problem and to foster closer co-operation between various stakeholders to make anti-trafficking measures more effective. It is the fifth in a series of eight OSCE-supported training seminars in 2012, and was organized in partnership with the Education Ministry and the non-governmental organization Feminist League.