OSCE, Council of Europe publish report on Montenegrin trafficking case

VIENNA, 27 November 2003 - A report of independent experts appointed by the OSCE and the Council of Europe to examine a recent human trafficking case in Montenegro involving a Moldovan citizen is now available on the OSCE public website www.osce.org, along with a response from the Montenegrin Government.

Four independent experts visited Montenegro in July with a mandate to assess the facts of the case, examine whether it had been conducted in accordance with national and international standards and make recommendations for future action in the fight against trafficking in human beings.

They interviewed Montenegrin government officials, police officers, prosecutors, judges, defence and victim attorneys and NGO representatives.

The Netherlands Chairmanship of the OSCE and the Council of Europe thanked the Montenegrin authorities for their co-operative stance and welcomed their efforts to put in place new laws and structures.

The Chairmanship indicated the willingness of the OSCE, in close co-ordination with the Council of Europe, to provide assistance in the implementation of the recommendations of the independent experts and the measures proposed by the Montenegrin government.