Yesterday (05.09.2007) a two-day regional conference “Actions against trafficking in persons: prevention, protection and prosecution” started its work in Yerevan. 100 representatives of diplomatic corps, governments, non-governmental organizations from Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Brasil, Bulgaria, Croatia. Norway, Portugal, Romania, Russia and Georgia participated in the conference. 

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Armen Bayburdyan in his welcome address to the guests mentioned that trafficking in persons is one of the multilayer problems of the world community. Trafficking is complicated with national peculiarities, creating additional difficulties to combat. 

 Armenia joined international efforts against trafficking not long ago, because the phenomena is strictly alien to both national values and mentality, and has come out only recently.    

The efforts of combating the trafficking as an internationally defined modern type of slavery  were started in Armenia in October 2002, when the Interagency Commission against Trafficking was created by the decision of the RA Prime Minister. It operates under the supervision of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and involves all appropriate ministries, experts of the National Assembly and Government, NGO representatives. In 2004, the Government of RA adopted an Action Plan for Prevention of Trafficking in Persons from the Republic of Armenia 2004-2006, which was prepared by the Interagency Commission. According to Mr. Bajburdyan, this first national action plan was mainly focused on improvement of the legislation, related to trafficking in the country and scrutinizing the directions and extent of trafficking inside and outside Armenia, on implementation of prevention measures, realizing programs of assistance and protection for trafficking victims.         

Activities aimed at improvement of legislation were developed in two main directions: within the state – by making appropriate changes in the Criminal Code, and on the international level – by joining international agreements and treaties. The UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, and two supplements - the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children and the Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Air and Sea, as well as the optional supplement to the UN convention “About rights of child” were ratified.

According to Mr. Bayburdyan,  the previous three-year National Action Plan was mainly oriented to creation of legislative and structural mechanisms, the next recently elaborated plan (for 2007-2009), which is to be adopted in the end of this month, can be described as a document to be used by each unit and aimed for improvement of the activity. Retaining the measures taken in the past as well as the general focus, this document will amplify common efforts in combating trafficking with the gaps in the system through creation of new mechanisms. Prevention and severity of punishment lies in the heart of this Plan. “This country must reach the point that would let Armenia neither be mentioned any longer in any connection with trafficking, nor be marked on the map of trafficking” – said Mr. Bayburdyan 

The conference was organized jointly by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Council of Europe within the framework of “Council of Europe’s campaign against trafficking in persons”. Meeting in Yerevan is the 8^th event of the campaign and, according to Martha Reckena, the Head of Gender Equality and Anti-Trafficking Division of the Directorate General of Human Rights and Legal Affairs of Council of Europe, it is aimed to promote the ratification of Council of Europe’s convention about activities against trafficking in persons, and to raise awareness about trafficking. The Convention will come into effect, when ratified by 10 countries, however, until it has been ratified by 8 countries so far. Armenia is among 29 countries, which have signed the convention. According to Mr. Bayburdyan, Armenia is inclined to ratify the convention as long as it has been signed, but at the moment it is impossible to say when. M. Reckena urged CE member states to ratify the convention, because, when ratified, it will make the combat against trafficking in persons more systematic.       

Deputy Prosecutor General Mnatsakan Sargsyan pointed out that the combat against illegal exploitation of people in Armenia has become more targeted and efficient after the creation of the department of combating trafficking in the Office of the Prosecutor General. In 2005 15 cases of trafficking were registered, in 2006 – 32, and in the first quarter of this year – already 20 cases.

During the conference participants discussed measures and actions taken in different countries on the national level to combat the dangerous phenomenon as well as questions, referring to the regional and sub regional cooperation for combating trafficking. 

Armenpress

This article was published in “Hayastani Hanrapetutyun” newspaper, 06.09.2007, 160 (4256)