The Deputies of the Council of Europe have agreed to distribute the draft Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings being developed by the COE Committee on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings (CAHTEH) to the non-governmental organisations involved in the area of human trafficking for purposes of consulting them. The preamble of the draft convention, however, will not be distributed, as CAHTEH has not yet examined the preamble. The text of the draft Convention can be requested from the Secretariat of the CAHTEH at the following address: DG2.trafficking@coe.int. NGOs can also send comments on the text to the same address.
In a news release issued on June 28 Amnesty International recommends that several key issues must still be addressed. These include identification of the victims of trafficking, provision for a reflection period during which victims are allowed to remain in a country, support services and protection, repatriation or resettlement of trafficked persons, and legal right to remedies.
The Committee on action against trafficking in human beings is meeting in the Palais de L’Europe Building from June 29 to July 2. On its agenda are various provisions of the draft Convention. These include questions relating to purpose, scope of application, the non-discrimination principle and definitions of the Convention; prevention, cooperation and other measures; measures to protect and promote the right of victims, including gender equality issues as well as substantive criminal law.
Amnesty International, Anti-Slavery International and Terre des Hommes will address the CAHTEH on June 29 2004.
Compiled from Amnesty International News Release, June 28 2004, AI Index: IOR 30/017/2004, available here, and Council of Europe, Action against Trafficking in Human Beings website, available here.