Important to step up coordination of anti-trafficking efforts, says OSCE Special Representative during an official visit to the Russian Federation.
RENATE is encouraged by the OSCE’s emphasis on the strength of collaboration in working together to combat human trafficking. It is also heartening to see that the spotlight will be placed on trafficking of minors, given the theme of the International day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking, 8^th February 2017, ‘’They are just Children, not Slaves.’’ 
The essential role of collaborative efforts and full cooperation amongst all organisations was emphasised by the OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Ms. Madina Jarbussynova, during her recent six-day official visit to the Russian Federation to discuss the country’s implementation of OSCE anti-trafficking commitments.
In Moscow, the Special Representative held in-depth discussions with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who expressed his appreciation for the OSCE’s anti-trafficking work. He expressed his support for the Office of the Special Representative and welcomed the focus of the upcoming Alliance against Trafficking in Person conference on children.
The Special Representative also met with Mikhail Fedotov, the Presidential Council Chairperson on Human Rights and Civil Society Development, the Deputy Chairperson of the Supreme Court, the Deputy Ministers of the Interior, of Labour and of Social Protection, representatives of the Prosecutor General’s Office, the Investigative Committee and the State Duma as well as with Tatiana Moskalkova, the Ombudsperson for Human Rights and representatives of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation. “Coordinating the efforts of all governmental agencies and civil society actors involved in anti-trafficking is crucial to increasing the effectiveness of legal and political measures to combat trafficking in human beings,” Jarbussynova noted. “The adoption of a comprehensive law in Russia on anti-trafficking, as recently recommended by the Presidential Council, would further strengthen existing national legislation and place the rights of victims at the centre of Russian national anti-trafficking policy.”
The Special Representative visited a temporary detention facility for foreigners established under the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the Moscow Oblast. Acknowledging the implementation of a policy aimed at facilitating regular migration and preventing slavery* and forced labour, she emphasised the vital role relevant authorities play in ensuring the protection of the rights of vulnerable migrant workers in Russia, the second-largest country in the world receiving migrants.
Ms. Jarbussynova also visited the Republic of Tatarstan, meeting with the President of the Republic and high-level representatives of executive structures to discuss the implementation of anti-trafficking policies and visiting an assistance centre for migrants.
Throughout the visit, meetings also took place with a wide range of civil society and international organisations accredited in the Russian Federation.
The Special Representative regularly conducts goal-oriented high-profile country visits to strengthen the capacity of OSCE participating States to address human trafficking in a comprehensive and effective manner, as well as to collect and share knowledge and best practices in preventing and combating this serious crime and human rights violation. 
Adapted by Anne Kelleher, RENATE Communications Person.