26 March 2009

Law-enforcement experts from over 30 countries will look for the best labour enslavement counterstrategy during the 5th international conference of law-enforment agencies

Journalists representing the Ukrainian media are invited to participate in the press conference that will open the 5^th international conference titled “International Perspectives on Law Enforcement Cooperation in Combating Trafficking in Human Beings.” The international conference is devoted to the topic of human trafficking, with the focus on labour exploitation. The press conference will take place on Tuesday, March 31, 2009 from 9:00 to 9:30 am at the President Hotel (12 Hospitalna St., 1^st floor, conference hall, section A-C.). The registration will begin at 8:30 am. Accreditation requests should be received by 5:30 pm on Monday, March 30, 2009. For more detailed information about the conference or accreditation, please contact IOM’s PR unit at 8-050-904-22-61.

The 5th International Conference “International Perspectives on Law Enforcement Cooperation in Combating Trafficking in Human Beings” will be held in Kyiv from March 31 till April 2, 2009. This year the Conference is devoted to the issue of human trafficking for labor exploitation. The event is organized by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Mission in Ukraine and the Ministry of Interior of Ukraine, with financial support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency and the Royal Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The conference will take place at the President Hotel (Hospitalna St. 12).

The participants of the press conference will include: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Denmark to Ukraine H.E. Mr. Uffe Andersson Balslev, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Sweden to Ukraine, H.E. Mr. Stefan Gullgren, IOM Senior Programme Coordinator Daiva Vikelyte, international expert on Counter-Trafficking, U.K., Paul Holmes and Deputy Minister of Interior, Volodymyr Yevdokimov.

 Over 100 law-enforcement experts from more than 30 countries, including Thailand, Turkey, USA, member-states of the European Union, as well as from Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine and other CIS countries will participate in the event. The agenda of the Conference will cover the following points for discussion: a legal definition of trafficking in persons for labor exploitation and main features of this crime; international mechanisms of current information exchange; as well as an elaboration of operational recommendations for governments of member-states in order to improve counter trafficking measures.

 Experts from Scotland Yard, the United States Department of Justice, the National Prosecutor Office of Thailand and other institutions will pool the experience of their countries in the field of counter trafficking for labor exploitation. The Swedish and Danish Ambassadors to Ukraine will open the Conference.

 Trafficking in persons is one of the most dangerous types of the international crime business and has become a serious human rights challenge. According to the United Nations specialists’ research, this type of crime is the third most profitable crime after narcotics and weapon smuggling. The illegal activity of traffickers has a strong impact on increasing a social tension. It also impedes the improvement of the national economy and endangers the implementation of positive changes towards the development of a democratic rule-of-law state.

 According to the official statistics of the Ministry of Interior of Ukraine, in 2008 the Internal Affairs Agencies disclosed 322 cases of human trafficking (53 of those are cases  of labor exploitation) and eliminated 18 organized criminal groups. 264 persons were brought to criminal responsibility. 342 victims of human trafficking were identified and returned to Ukraine, including 37 minors.

 “Trafficking in human beings is one of the most complex problems that has long gone beyond the boundaries of individual states and takes a leading position in the field of international crime” Mr. Anh Nguyen, Counter Trafficking Programme Coordinator, noted. “Countering trafficking-related crimes, unfortunately, has become vitally important for Ukraine. Investigation and prosecution of trafficking-related crimes is especially complicated because victims are unwilling to resort to law enforcement agencies and witness in court. Under these circumstances, operational law enforcement cooperation, as well as the coordination of law enforcement agencies in the field, has become exceedingly important.”

 Mr. Anh Nguyen also remarked that the criminal underworld is well organized. Therefore nowadays it is very important to create jointly a strong worldwide network of experts, who will be able to fight against modern forms of labor enslavement.

 The International Organization for Migration (IOM) Mission in Ukraine has organized such a conference for the 5^th time in a row. The international relevant meetings of experts were held before in Minsk (Belorussia) in May 2003, Kyiv (Ukraine) in May 2004, Chisinau (Moldova) in May 2005 and Minsk (Belorussia) in April 2007. Upon completion of these meetings the Recommendations for International Operational and Judicial Cooperation in Combating Trafficking in Human Beings were elaborated. All together about 500 persons have already taken part in conferences.

 In recent years many people have become victims of enslavement. IOM estimated that over 100,000 Ukrainians have been trafficked for different purposes since 1991. Since 2000 the IOM Ukraine has assisted 5,500 individuals who have been trafficked to more than 55 countries all over the world. In accordance with the latest outcome of all-Ukrainian researches over 76 % of the Ukrainian population are aware that trafficking in person can happen to them.

 The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is an inter-governmental organization that promotes humane and right-based approaches to migration and development, facilitating and regulating migration and countering trafficking in human beings.

 The IOM was established in 1951 an today it includes 122 member states, 18 states with observer status, and over 280 field locations. IOM Mission in Ukraine started operations in 1996.