OSCE Mission Helps Establish Mechanism to Aid Trafficking Victims in Skopje

Macedonia

OSCE Mission helps establish mechanism to aid trafficking victims in Skopje

Noticias.info

A national referral mechanism aimed at helping the victims of trafficking, which is supported by the OSCE Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje, was launched today at a press conference by the Minister of Labour and Social Policy, Stevce Jakimovski. http://www.noticias.info/asp/aspComunicados.asp?nid=114384&src=0 http://www.childtrafficking.org/cgi-bin/ct/main.sql? ID=2134&file=view_document.sql

OSCE Mission helps establish mechanism to aid trafficking victims in Skopje

A national referral mechanism aimed at helping the victims of trafficking, which is supported by the OSCE Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje, was launched today at a press conference by the Minister of Labour and Social Policy, Stevce Jakimovski.

"The project will enhance the co-operation between governmental and non- governmental organizations dealing with trafficking issues. As well as representatives of the NGO community, the partners in this project include police, local authorities, social workers and Municipal Gender Equality Commissions," said the Minister.

Monica Portillo, Anti-Trafficking Programme Director of the OSCE Mission, recalled that the OSCE's Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings recommended OSCE participating States to establish National Referral Mechanisms.

"We are therefore pleased to support the institutionalization of the National Referral Mechanism Co-ordination Office, which will strengthen the country's ability to provide adequate identification, assistance and protection to all victims of human trafficking," she added.

Elena Grozdanova, Head of the Unit for Promotion of Gender Equality within the Ministry said that the OSCE/ODIHR handbook, 'National Referral Mechanisms - Joined Efforts to Protect the Rights of Trafficked Persons', translated into Macedonian and Albanian with the support of the OSCE Mission, would be extremely useful for all actors dealing with trafficing issues.

"The handbook provides guidelines as well as best practices and highlights programmes and services that should ideally be available to trafficked persons," she said.

The OSCE Mission also handed over equipment for the newly-established office to the Ministry.