A one-day meeting was held by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna today aimed at creating a broad Alliance Against Trafficking in Persons of international, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations in order to support governments to "more efficiently fight this modern scourge." "We have to pool our forces and resources," said Helga Konrad, the OSCE's new Special Representative on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings and organizer of the event.
"Many good things - ranging from structural and institutional measures and collaborative initiatives to the development of comprehensive action plans at national levels - have been done and continue to be done," she said. "Yet, in spite of all these activities there does not seem to be evidence of a substantial reduction of human trafficking.
"So the question is no longer: 'What can be done about human trafficking?' but rather 'How we can do more and do it better'. There is no time to lose or waste," urged Ms. Konrad.
For more information, see the OSCE's 23 July 2004 press release.