ODIHR International Survivors of Trafficking Advisory Council (ISTAC) Annual Meeting
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An annual meeting of the ODIHR International Survivors of Trafficking Advisory Council (ISTAC) will take place in Warsaw on 27 and 28 June 2024. The meeting will provide a platform for dialogue and co-operation among ISTAC members and between ISTAC and ODIHR. It will establish priorities for an effective medium-term strategy for ISTAC and contribute to the validation of upcoming policy guidance papers developed by ODIHR in consultation with ISTAC.
Since 2021, ISTAC assists ODIHR's work in combatting trafficking in human beings. It provides advice, guidance and recommendations to ODIHR, and through ODIHR to the OSCE participating States, on anti-trafficking legislation, policies, practices and training. The Council's work reflects the importance of including and promoting the voices of people with lived experience of human trafficking in all matters related to combating this crime.
The 2nd cohort of ISTAC, appointed in 2023 for a two-year term, consists of seven survivor leaders of human trafficking from across the OSCE region.
Background
Active in preventing and combating trafficking in human beings in the OSCE region since 1999, ODIHR has developed expertise in victim protection and the promotion of the rights of trafficked persons and at-risk groups. It focuses on promoting international human rights standards and gender-sensitive measures in response to trafficking.
ODIHR addresses trafficking in human beings through an approach based on human rights, the rule of law, equality, and non-discrimination, which is survivor-centered. ODIHR’s approach recognizes that trafficked persons are holders of rights and ensures that responses to human trafficking protect these rights. These commitments are reflected in tools such as the Code of Practice for Ensuring the Rights of Victims and Survivors of Human Trafficking and Guidance on Trauma-Informed National Referral Mechanisms and Responses to Human Trafficking, derived from ODIHR’s National Referral Mechanisms Handbook. Other publications, e.g. Guiding Principles on Human Rights in the Return of Trafficked Persons (Return Guide) and Compensation for Trafficked and Exploited Persons in the OSCE Region have provided guidance on international standards focusing on the rights of trafficking survivors.