On July 5, 2005, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Romania launched a new anti-trafficking project targeting countries in South Eastern Europe. The project provides advanced law enforcement training for border officials and facilitates greater communication and cross-border coordination between participating countries. Through these measures the project hopes to identify a greater number of trafficking victims, protect and offer treatment services to victims, improve investigation techniques and convict traffickers. In 2003, UNDP Romania distributed a “Comprehensive Anti-Trafficking Training Strategy for Law Enforcement,” for anti-trafficking investigators that has been officially endorsed as a regional training standard by 13 countries in South Eastern Europe (Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, FYR of Macedonia, Moldova, Romania, and Serbia & Montenegro).
This year, UNDP Romania introduced its follow-up project “Strengthening Law Enforcement Capacities for Fighting Human Trafficking in South-Eastern Europe.” UNDP Romania, working with the International center for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), created the project in response to requests from the thirteen countries for more support in developing national training plans in accordance with the 2003 anti-trafficking strategies. This project intends to update existing manuals, conduct regional seminars, strengthen law enforcement, and implement training strategies that are specifically tailored to the local needs of each country.
On June 11-17, the UNDP held its first regional seminar in Stadtschlaining, Austria. Trainers, police officers, prosecutors, and NGOs from participating countries were invited to attend. At the seminar, participants received advanced training delivery techniques and the opportunity to share experiences and comment on the progress of their national training plans.
Compiled from: “Human Anti-trafficking: the battle continues.” UNDP(Romania), 5 July 2005; (Press Release, PDF)