Newsroom
OSCE Mission holds two-day anti-trafficking seminar for Serbian Ministry of Social Affairs
BELGRADE 2 June 2003
BELGRADE, 2 June 2003 - The OSCE Mission to Serbia and Montenegro today opened an anti-trafficking seminar for representatives from the Serbian Ministry of Social Affairs. The seminar aims at assisting the Ministry in preventing, protecting and re-integrating the victims of trafficking in human beings.
"The OSCE Mission is promoting a multi-disciplinary approach in order to fight trafficking in human beings", said Ambassador Maurizio Massari, Head of the OSCE Mission. "The objective of this seminar is to assist the authorities in preventing human trafficking, to protect the victims of this crime, and to prosecute traffickers. With this in mind, the Mission's anti-trafficking strategy encourages strong co-operation between the Serbian Ministries of Social Affairs, Interior and Justice and the non-governmental sector."
Ambassador Massari also said that the OSCE Mission saw a vital role for the Serbian Ministry of Social Affairs in the fight against human trafficking, specifically in actively raising awareness among vulnerable groups. "We envisage that this seminar will further closer co-operation between governmental and non-governmental social service providers and the police", he added.
The seminar programme includes informing participants about the root causes of human trafficking, as well as international and domestic anti-trafficking legislation and victim protection. They will also obtain an overview on how human trafficking affects Serbia and Montenegro.
The OSCE Mission's anti-trafficking strategy has recently been distributed to the Serbian Ministries of Social Affairs, Interior and Justice. The strategy, which espouses a multi-disciplinary approach, responds to the anti-trafficking prioritization of this year's Netherlands Chairmanship of the OSCE.
Today's seminar was organized in co-operation with the Serbian Ministry of Social Affairs and with support from the Serbian Team to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings.
"The OSCE Mission is promoting a multi-disciplinary approach in order to fight trafficking in human beings", said Ambassador Maurizio Massari, Head of the OSCE Mission. "The objective of this seminar is to assist the authorities in preventing human trafficking, to protect the victims of this crime, and to prosecute traffickers. With this in mind, the Mission's anti-trafficking strategy encourages strong co-operation between the Serbian Ministries of Social Affairs, Interior and Justice and the non-governmental sector."
Ambassador Massari also said that the OSCE Mission saw a vital role for the Serbian Ministry of Social Affairs in the fight against human trafficking, specifically in actively raising awareness among vulnerable groups. "We envisage that this seminar will further closer co-operation between governmental and non-governmental social service providers and the police", he added.
The seminar programme includes informing participants about the root causes of human trafficking, as well as international and domestic anti-trafficking legislation and victim protection. They will also obtain an overview on how human trafficking affects Serbia and Montenegro.
The OSCE Mission's anti-trafficking strategy has recently been distributed to the Serbian Ministries of Social Affairs, Interior and Justice. The strategy, which espouses a multi-disciplinary approach, responds to the anti-trafficking prioritization of this year's Netherlands Chairmanship of the OSCE.
Today's seminar was organized in co-operation with the Serbian Ministry of Social Affairs and with support from the Serbian Team to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings.