Anti-trafficking leaders at the 23rd Conference of the Alliance against Trafficking in Persons urged the 57 participating States of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to strengthen their response to prevent and eradicate human trafficking, by generating the necessary political will to tackle the issue.
"Political will is the single most important ingredient for our success," said the OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings Valiant Richey.
The adoption of the Palermo Protocol and the OSCE Action Plan on Combating Trafficking some 20 years ago marked a high point in international political will. However, while most countries passed laws that criminalized trafficking and kick-started national anti-trafficking efforts, recent data shows that implementation is increasingly insufficient. "The scale of the crime has expanded, the nature of the crime has evolved, and our ability and effort to adjust and respond accordingly is lagging behind," the Special Representative emphasized.
Emphasizing the need for more decisive national leadership to combat trafficking, the OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid noted in her welcoming remarks that the "elevated risk for exploitation in the OSCE region today means that 'being concerned' about trafficking in human beings is not enough, there is a pressing need and obligation to take action - an obligation that rests with participating States," she said. "It is in your streets, in your shops, and on your servers that the fight against trafficking must be waged," she concluded.
The need for action was also reiterated by the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Foreign Minister of North Macedonia, Bujar Osmani, who stressed that "trafficking in human beings is a matter of human security. In all our anti-trafficking efforts, let us always keep the people in mind. We must hear their voices and concerns, their hopes and fears. We must put a human face on all our documents, words and deeds."
The Conference closed with a strong call to action by the outgoing Special Representative, built around a Decalogue of State Anti-trafficking Action - ten points emerging from the Conference that are essential to move participating States from combating trafficking to one day ending it.
With over 850 registered participants from the OSCE region and beyond, this year's Alliance Conference was the largest on record, a testament to the continued growth of the OSCE's anti-trafficking profile and leadership.
