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On 27 February 2018, High-level government representatives from Ukraine, along with representatives of NGOs, the OSCE and of the international donor community met in Kyiv to present annual achievements in combating trafficking in human beings and to set the strategies for the upcoming year.
At the event, Ms. Tetyana Kovalchuk, Deputy Minister of the Interior, announced that 2018 will be officially designated as the year of combatting trafficking in human beings and stated that “The Ministry of Interior and the National Police of Ukraine have invested significant efforts into uncovering and investigating the cases of trafficking in human beings. In 2017, the number of recorded criminal cases tripled compared to 2016. However, we further need to strengthen the investigation of trafficking in human beings cases and the prosecution and conviction of human traffickers.”
Of particular interest to the stakeholders were trafficking prevention, how best to improve interagency co-operation and devising strategies on how to strengthen responses to counter trafficking in human beings.
Jeffrey Erlich, Senior Project Officer of the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine said: “Along with the other 56 participating States of the OSCE, Ukraine has committed to a multi-disciplinary and comprehensive approach to address human trafficking. It is the task of field missions like the Project Coordinator in Ukraine, to support national efforts, and I am pleased to note that in 2017, the government sought out substantive and meaningful cooperation in a wide range of areas.”
Log on to the RENATE website for forthcoming news of RENATE’s launch of its Mapping exercise on Child Trafficking in seven member countries, including the UKRAINE.
Adapted by Anne Kelleher, RENATE Communications
In the UKRAINE, the Deputy Ministry of the Interior announces 2018 as the Year of Combatting Trafficking in Human Beings.