New initiative against trafficking

For several years, the Nordic Council of Ministers under the guidance of its offices in Tallinn and St. Petersburg, has been engaged in the fight against trafficking, especially when it applies to cross-border co-operation between Russia, the Baltic states and the Nordic countries, and especially linked to the problems in the areas of forced labour, child and sexual exploitation. Despite the efforts of several parties, the number of those affected has not decreased and there is a need for strengthening efforts.  

"National measures against trafficking are fundamental but they are not enough. We must co-operate more across borders to put an end to this modern form of slavery", said the Secretary General Dagfinn Høybråten.

Therefore, he informed the hundred or so delegates at the conference Trafficking in Human Beings – Recruitment, Identification, Victim Support about further efforts planned by the Nordic Council of Ministers.

Facilitates co-operation

Collaboration has so far demonstrated the importance of experience and knowledge exchange between professionals involved in combating human trafficking on a daily basis. The degree of professionalism must increase with the problem. Therefore, the new efforts from the Nordic Council of Ministers will help to make it easier for the police, border guards, social workers, lawyers, NGOs and others to meet and carry out study visits to each other in order to improve their knowledge.

"And added to the purpose of raising awareness, we know that it will be considerably easier for the police, in Vilnius for example, to phone a colleague in Oslo if they have met and perhaps got to know each other", said Høybråten.