ASTANA, 19 September 2006 - How a National Referral Mechanism could help the government support victims of human trafficking was the focus of an OSCE-supported expert meeting held today in Astana. Kazakhstan plans to follow OSCE recommendations and introduce such a mechanism to improve the protection of trafficking victims.
"Co-operation between relevant government structures and non-governmental organizations is crucial to ensure that trafficking victims receive the protection they need," said Bjorn Halvarsson, Deputy Head of the OSCE Centre in Almaty. "A National Referral Mechanism would outline how such co-operation should work."
The meeting, organized by the Centre and the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, the Justice Ministry and the Ombudsman's Office, brought together mid-level specialists from government structures engaged in the fight against human trafficking.
Experts from Moldova briefed the participants on Moldova's National Referral Mechanism for trafficking victims.
Published in: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Press-Release,
www.osce.org, accessed 22 September 2006.