OFFICE OF THE OSCE SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE AND CO-ORDINATOR FOR COMBATING TRAFFICKING “Change does not happen by
IN HUMAN BEINGS itself. We need leaders to carry it through. It is leadership and political will that can move us from combating trafficking to finally ending it. I call on 2023 REPORT leaders to join us to take action and to help us finally build a world free from exploitation.” UPDATE Former OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Valiant Richey, at the closing of the 23rd Alliance Conference
Since the signing of the The 2023 OSCE Alliance Conference highlighted and emphasized Palermo Protocol 24 years these efforts. Consistent determination is needed to raise ago, countries have enacted the unwavering political will necessary to curb the scale of the laws to criminalize and prevent problem and adapt to current challenges. The 2023 Alliance human trafficking. Yet, despite these underscored successful examples of strong national leadership efforts, this pervasive crime continues to and pioneering initiatives to combat human trafficking within and surge throughout the OSCE region, at levels unlike between OSCE participating States. before, and traffickers adapt new ways to exploit vulnerable people. However, amid this concerning trend, At the end of his term, former Special Representative Valiant there is a glimmer of hope as political leaders and the general Richey provided participating States with a Decalogue of anti- public are showing heightened awareness and commitment to trafficking action, outlining the ten most promising measures and combat human trafficking. Additionally, promising and innovative policies to conduct a more effective fight against this heinous policies have emerged, illustrating that progress is being made in crime. the ongoing battle against this persistent issue.
Decalogue of anti-trafficking action 1. Establish a National Anti-trafficking Co-ordinator, a of exploitation money. high-level figure centrally placed in government, in charge of 7. Address the intersection between technology and traf- directing the national anti-trafficking efforts. ficking, mandating tech companies to take responsibility by 2. Establish an Anti-trafficking Task Force, a mechanism conducting proper due diligence on their platforms to prevent to gather all the actors, including survivors, to elaborate key harm and equip justice systems with the tools to effectively strategies and policies to prevent trafficking, punish perpetra- shut down websites that facilitate exploitation. tors, and protect victims. 8. Enact laws and policies to prevent labor exploitation in 3. Establish a National Action Plan, a policy tool ensuring that supply chains by mandating private companies and public State anti-trafficking action is strategic, comprehensive, and buyers to conduct due diligence in their supply chains while duly funded. strategically leveraging market-sized forces. 4. Establish an independent National Rapporteur, collect- 9. Discourage the demand fostering sexual exploitation ing data, identifying trends, and advising the government on through the implementation of policies - from educational to sound courses of action. criminal justice measures - that will reduce the demand and 5. Enhance protection and prosecution, aiming at providing hold accountable those who abuse trafficking victims. justice at scale, identifying more victims, and protecting them 10. Incentivize and mobilize national leadership and political better while recognizing their specific individual needs. will to ignite all the changes needed to build a world free from 6. Engage financial investigations, an effective tactic to exploitation. break the business cycle of trafficking and cut off the lifeline 2023 | A YEAR IN REVIEW
In 2023, the Office of the Special Representative and Co- Preventing and com- ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings (OSR/ bating labour exploita- OSCE Office of the Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings and
CTHB) went through a year of internal transition. Yet, despite tion in supply chains OSCE Department of Management and Finance
the change in leadership, it consistently and relentlessly fulfilled its mandate, responding to persistent and emerging - In partnership with COMBATING TRAFFICKING challenges across the OSCE region in a volatile international the Department of IN HUMAN BEINGS AND security situation. Management and LABOUR EXPLOITATION Finance, the Office IN SUPPLY CHAINS continued wor- In 2023, the OSR/CTHB advanced the OSCE’s anti-trafficking king to ensure the Guidance for efforts through: OSCE’s procure- OSCE Procurement Second updated ment does not fo- edition
1) ASSISTING PARTICIPATING STATES IN THE ster forced labour. IMPLEMENTATION OF OSCE COMMITMENTS In 2023, he OSR/ CTHB released ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING the second edi- tion of the OSCE In 2023, the Office was physically present in 39 participating procurement gui- States, in various capacities and in different fora. dance, rolled out mandatory e-lear- Finalization and publication of country reports following SR ning on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings and La- official visits by the Special Representative in 2022: bour Exploitation in OSCE Supply Chains for all the OSCE procurement staff, and continued procurement training - The United Kingdom exercises for the staff at the OSCE Field Operations. - Norway - Latvia - In 2023, the OSR/CTHB joined the Secretariat of the multi-agency UN Task Force for Combating Human Traf- Country visit to: ficking and Forced Labour in Supply Chains. The OSCE OSR/CTHB is a founding member of this initiative and - Kyrgyzstan served as a co-Chair in 2019-2022. This collaboration works to leverage the UN’s extensive procurement power Joint official visit to: to address trafficking for labour exploitation within its supply chains, replicating the OSCE’s efforts. - Bulgaria (organized with the Council of Europe) Following the money to prevent and combat human trafficking Capacity-Building The Office has continued working closely with financial intelligence units and the financial sector in several States Building upon the recognized and appreciated method to promote partnerships between public and private sectors developed internally, the Office organized or supported several and develop guidance on how to identify cases of trafficking simulation-based training exercises, including: through assessment of risks and monitoring of financial - The first regional Central Asian simulation-based training transactions and financial intelligence. In 2023, the OSR/CTHB exercise held in Kazakhstan, with practitioners from Kaza- key activities in the area included: khstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbeki- stan participating; - Facilitating the drafting and release of the first Strategic - The first regional simulation-based training exercise held Analysis Report on human trafficking in Cyprus. The do- in Germany for five Baltic Sea States (Finland, Germany, cument, developed jointly with Cyprus Financial Intelligen- Iceland, Lithuania, and Sweden), in collaboration with the ce Unit (MOKAS), provides country-specific information Council of the Baltic Sea States; related to human trafficking and serves as an operational - The second national simulation-based training exercise in alert for the financial sector to identify trafficking red flags Georgia; in financial transactions. - The first national simulation-based training exercise in Moldova; - Organizing the joint regional round-table, “Strengthening - A National simulation-based training exercise in Ukraine. the role of the private sector and financial institutions in detecting and preventing trafficking in human beings,” The Office’s ultimate goal is to provide the format to national held in Bosnia and Herzegovina in collaboration with the authorities and help them integrate it into their regular anti- Council of Europe. The event was attended by participants trafficking training curricula for all anti-trafficking stakeholders in from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Mace- a multi-agency setting. donia, and Serbia. The intersection between technology and human trafficking 2) CO-ORDINATION AND PARTNERSHIPS To help participating States address the misuse of technology The Office continued to ensure impactful co-ordination of all the by traffickers and also assist them in taking advantage of tech OSCE work in combating trafficking in human beings across tools that can help to prevent exploitation, protect victims, and the three dimensions within the OSCE, as well as with external hold traffickers accountable, the Office organized four regional partners: workshops with participation from 30 participating States in:
- Tallinn, Estonia; - The OSR/CTHB facilitated the Joint Meeting of the three - The Hague, the Netherlands; Committees in connection with the 20 th anniversary of - Bucharest, Romania; and the OSCE Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Human - Almaty, Kazakhstan. Beings.
- The Office ensured effective co-ordination with OSCE The OSR/CTHB Field Operations and other executive structures, and launched the ground- Office of the Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings
especially the CTHB focal points through regular mee- breaking study Mapping the online landscape Mapping the online landscape of risks tings, to build synergies and alignment. of risks of trafficking in of trafficking in human beings on sexual services websites across human beings on sexual the OSCE region - As a member of ICAT, the Interagency Coordination services websites across Group against Trafficking in Persons, the Office facilita- the OSCE region. Based ted the endorsement of a joint Call to Action to com- on the mapping and bat and end child trafficking. analysis of almost 2,900 sex services websites - The Office continued to co-organize, together with the containing over 3 million Council of Europe, the annual meetings of the National advertisements across 40 OSCE participating Anti-Trafficking Co-ordinators and Rapporteurs or equi- States, the study valent mechanisms. seeks to address the existing information gap - Collaboration with the office of the EU Anti-Trafficking regarding websites at Coordinator included joint work and advocacy on ad- potentially high risk dressing technology-facilitated trafficking and respon- of facilitating sex ding to the humanitarian crisis stemming from the war trafficking across the against Ukraine. OSCE area. Regardless of geographical location, economic or cultural standing, or national jurisdiction, the study found that every country has platforms with high risks of trafficking. - The Office provided support and expertise to the To enhance the monitoring of online platforms and proactively European Parliament’s members in their drafting combat criminal activities, it is thus essential to establish efforts on the new EU Anti-trafficking Directive, parti- comprehensive international measures that include all cularly on the complex issue of how to discourage the participating States. demand that fosters sexual exploitation and advocating for comprehensive policies to address the misuse of technology. The OSR/CTHB pub- lished the study Putting Office of the Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings
Victims First: The ‘Social 3) RAISING THE PUBLIC AND POLITICAL Path’ to Identification and Assistance in March PUTTING PROFILE OF THE OSCE ANTI-TRAFFICKING AGENDA 2023. The paper pro- vides an analysis of how VICTIMS to identify and assist victims of trafficking FIRST The ‘social path’ to identification In 2023, the Office k ept u p a s t rong p r ofile an d ef forts in assisting participating States in preventing the humanitarian outside of the criminal and assistance situation emerging from the war in Ukraine from turning into a justice framework. Fol- human trafficking crisis. The OSR/CTHB conducted lowing publication, the workshops in 15 participating States: Office began conduct- ing national workshops related to this paper to - Estonia - Romania assist in carrying out the - Lithuania - Austria work from policy to prac- - Norway - Portugal tice. Such workshops - Slovakia - Bulgaria were held in: - Czech Republic - Greece - Latvia - Switzerland - the Netherlands - Lithuania - Germany - the United Kingdom - Romania - Hungary - Sweden - Bulgaria - Portugal Other workshops are being planned for 2024, including in - Slovakia North America. - Moldova LOOKING AHEAD | 2024 In 2019, the OSR/CTHB will capitalize on the tremendous success of 2018 by transforming the research and policy development conducted this year into practical and impactful acti- vites on the ground. It will also leverage new and emerging partnerships at the global and regional levels, and across international organizations, NGOs, and the private sector. Below are some of the priority areas for 2019. structures, national institutions, and other partners, including international organizations, civil society, survivors, and the private sector, to maximize impact and efficiency in the fight against human trafficking, ensuring efforts are as strategic, nimble, and proactive as possible. This must include good internal and trans-border co-ordination and capacity-building on innovative tools such as technology, financial investigations, and supply chain due diligence.
3. Working to help States fulfil their commitments by meaningfully 1. OSR/CTHB and ICAT: bridging the anti- 3. Technology implementing victim-centered, gender-sensitive, trauma- and trafficking effort from global to local In early 2019, the OSR/CTHB survivor-informed policies will andpublish its research programmes on the in- and preventing tersection of technology the punishment and trafficking and the promising tech of victims. In 2019 the OSCE will become the first-ever non-UN agency to initiatives to counter trafficking. The OSR/CTHB will aim to lever- chair the Inter-Agency Coordination Group Against Trafficking age that research 4. Helping by driving participating impactful States and OSCE partnerships structuresintailor the their new when it co-chairs the network with UN Women. ICAT represents coalition Technology efforts to prevent Against Trafficking. trafficking and protectAnd, to raise awareness vulnerable individuals, a unique opportunity to build bridges from the global response to and including develop joint strategies minorities, for thepersons migrants, future, with the OSR/CTHB will disabilities, and trafficking to the regional and local response. Through inter-agen- devote its fleeing those 2019 Alliance conflict orHigh-Level Conference to the topic of natural disasters. Meet cy Dr. Kariexchange co-ordination, Johnstone, the new of expertise, OSCEof resourc- and pooling technology and trafficking. The conference will look at the role of Special es, we will: Representative and Co-ordinator for technology 5. Workingboth as a liability to extensively andactively and as an integrate asset to combat traffick- the expertise of •Combating Trafficking Usher in a future in Human of collaboration from global Beings to regional ing inthose human beings with lived inexperience relation to into all four key pillars ofpolicies anti-trafficking the OSCE’s and • Help ICAT grow in size and impact anti-trafficking programmes. commitments: prevention, prosecution, protection •To Incorporate turn the tide OSCE in the fight against values human including trafficking, human rightsnational anti- and gender and partnerships. trafficking equalityauthorities need adequate policies and laws, effective structures and resources, as well as the necessary political will to drive this action. In 2023, the Alliance Conference focused on 2. theseEngaging elements, toMediterranean support a much-needed Partners paradigm for change in “The mandate 4. Supply ofpublic chains and the OSR/CTHB procurementis global anti-trafficking efforts: defeating trafficking can no longer Co-operation both comprehensive and operational. be the goal of law enforcement alone, but of society as a whole. Finally, in 2019 the OSR/CTHB will continue to lead efforts to Governments, Together civil ongoing with our society and individuals project – all haveHuman on “Combating a collective Traf- It provides the necessary toolbox to address labour exploitation through responsible public procure- responsibility ficking along to combat Routes”, Migration trafficking in in 2019 all its forms. the Office will conduct ment. Building on the success of its standard-setting guidelines a ground-breaking collaborative simulation exercise for prac- deliver meaningful activities and adapt on supply chains, the OSR/CTHB will conduct workshops to titioners around the Mediterranean region, bringing togeth- to the times in which we live.” strengthen the capacities of practitioners from the OSCE par- SRparticipating er Kari Johnstone’s priorities States from southern Europe forand 2024 Partners for ticpating States to prevent human trafficking in supply chains. It Co-operation from northern Africa. This capacity building project will also apply the recommended principles to the OSCE through OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for 1. confront will Advancingtheefforts to of realities combat all forms migration of trafficking, and trafficking including in the Medi- mapping of the OSCE supply chain to prevent trafficking in the Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Dr. Kari growing terranean forms region such and as trafficking demonstrate theforvalue forcedof criminality. practical partner- OSCE’s own procurement Johnstone, practices. delivering her first address to the OSCE 2. Further ships enhancing within the OSCE and co-ordination beyond. among OSCE executive Permanent Council, 9 November 2023
Follow OSCE OSCE Secretariat OfficeSecretariat OSCE of the Special Representative Office of the Specialfor and Co-ordinator Combating Representative Trafficking in Human Beings and Co-ordinator for Combating twitter.com/osce_cthb Wallnerstrasse 6 Trafficking in Human Beings www.osce.org/cthb 1010 Vienna, Austria Wallnerstrasse 6 Office: 1010 +43 1 Austria Vienna, 514 36 6257 Office: +43 1 514 36 6257 Email: info-cthb@osce.org Email: info-cthb@osce.org