Draft National Strategy and Action Plan for combating trafficking in human beings focus of OSCE-supported workshop held in Podgorica

The OSCE Mission to Montenegro, in partnership with Montenegrin National Coordinator’s Office for Combating Human Trafficking, organized a workshop dedicated to the preparation of the 2019-2024 Draft National Strategy for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings (THB) and the 2019 Action Plan from 11 to 13 June 2018 in Podgorica.

Topics discussed in the workshop, led by international expert Bistra Netkova, included the legal framework against THB; analysis of the results from 2012 to 2017 and recommendations for the next five years; European Union strategy on combating THB; THB prevention; THB victims’ identification and protection, and strategy co-ordination and implementation.

Some 20 practitioners, representing the national inter-agency working group for THB strategy, Higher Court, Justice Ministry, State Prosecutor’s Office, Interior Ministry, Foreign Affairs Ministry, Health Ministry, Finance Ministry, Education Ministry, Tourism and Sustainable Development Ministry and NGO sector, participated.

“Co-operation on this level is considered essential for the development of a legal framework for combating trafficking in human beings and advancing with the activities in this area,” said OSCE Robert Kucharski, OSCE Programme Manager for Security Co-operation and Governance.

The Strategy and the Action Plan are expected to be adopted by the end of 2018. The activity is part of the Mission’s efforts to address transnational threats to security and is a continuation of support provided in the preparation of the key documents.

The second workshop will be held from 25 to 27 June in Podgorica.