The constant stream of trafficked women around the Baltic must be stopped through more cross-border cooperation and more funding for both government agencies and NGOs dealing with the issue.

That was among the conclusions of the final report on human trafficking from the working group on civil security under the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC).

- We must follow the money and get to the criminal networks behind this scourge by drying out their resources. This in its turn requires more funding for the people fighting human trafficking and better coordination between the Baltic Sea states, said André Oktay Dahl representing the Nordic Council during the debate at BSPC.

The BSPC is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year and the need for regional cooperation both on the issue of human trafficking and a whole host of other areas is bigger than ever, the participants at the conference in Helsinki agreed.

A number of speakers at the conference also called for stronger national involvement in the recommendations from international bodies like the BSPC. Parliamentarians participating in regional cooperation need to bring the discussions and resolutions back to their home countries to speed up implementation and transnational policy development, they urged.

The BSPC brings together 27 national and regional parliaments from ten Baltic countries for discussions on issues like human trafficking, labour relations, maritime policy, as well as energy and climate.

Michael Funch
Phone +45 33960332
Email mifu@norden.org

Jenny Pentler
Phone +45 33 96 0445
Email jepe@norden.org