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Home Events International Survivors of Trafficking Advisory Council: Official Launch Event
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International Survivors of Trafficking Advisory Council: Official Launch Event

When

25 January 2021, 16:00 - 18:00

Where

Online event (CET time zone)

Organized by

OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR)
(OSCE)

The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) launched the International Survivors of Trafficking Advisory Board (ISTAC), consisting of 21 leading survivors of human trafficking from across the OSCE.

ISTAC will assist ODIHR’s work in combatting trafficking in human beings. It was set up with due attention to diversity in terms of expertise, gender and geographical location. 

This launch took place on the basis of OSCE commitments and in line with its mandate to assist participating states in the implementation of their human dimension commitments.

The initial composition of the ISTAC included Lisa C. Williams who is now replaced by Suamhirs Piraino-Guzman.

The launch

This event highlighted the role and function of ISTAC as well as its activities for 2021. It also aimed to promote exchange of information and views among OSCE delegations, international experts, civil society and survivors of trafficking. The main topic: the importance of including and promoting the voices of survivors in all matters related to combating trafficking in human beings.

The main speakers were:

  • HRH Princess Eugenie, Co-Founder of The Anti-Slavery Collective
  • Kari A. Johnstone, Acting Director, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (TIP Office), U.S. Department of State  
  • Siobhan Mullally, UN Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, especially in Women and Children
  • Per-Anders Sunesson, Deputy Director-General, Ministry of Health and Social Affairs of Sweden, Division for EU and International Affairs and former Swedish Ambassador at Large for Combating Trafficking in Persons
  • Lisa C. Williams, ISTAC Chair (who will launch ISTAC)

Additionally, there were opening remarks from:

  • Matteo Mecacci, ODIHR Director
  • Ambassador Tobias Lorentzson, Deputy Permanent Representative of Sweden to the OSCE​ Chair in Office (CiO)
  • Valiant Richey, OSCE Special Representative and Coordinatorfor Combating Trafficking in Human Beings

The event was moderated by Tatiana Kotlyarenko, ODIHR Adviser on Anti-Trafficking Issues. It will be held in English, with interpretation to and from Russian and Spanish.