Child Trafficking in Europe

Vi
poliCY rEsponsEs To
Child TraffiCking
A comprehensive national response to child trafficking
requires cooperation and coordination between
government ministries and other national institutions,
NGOs and civil society. This is essential to
ensure that national policies are integrated and complementary,
and that resources are used effectively.
A number of policy tools and structures are in place
in European countries to facilitate and institutionalize
cooperation and coordination. These include specialized
national bodies and action plans at the national
and regional levels.
national action plans on trafficking in human beings
National Action Plans are an important policy tool
for the prevention of human trafficking and the protection
of victims. In Europe, about two thirds of the
countries covered by this research have adopted
National Action Plans to counter trafficking in human
beings. However, the quality of these National Action
Plans and the degree to which they are implemented
and funded differ throughout Europe. 75
When complex policy issues, such as policies to prevent
and respond to human trafficking, involve multiple
national and international actors, National Action
Plans are a useful tool to coordinate a multisectoral
approach. Action plans also increase the transparency
of national policies and the monitoring of their
implementation. To be an effective policy instrument,
a National Action Plan must provide a concrete and
realistic description of the activities to be undertaken
and objectives to be pursued. It must identify responsible
stakeholders, set a time frame for implementation,
and include a budget that provides sufficient
financial resources to each of the actors involved in
the implementation process.
The more comprehensive National Action Plans on
human trafficking in Europe specify activities on data
collection and research; prevention; awareness-raising;
victim identification, referral, assistance and protection;
durable solutions for victims, including return,
where applicable, and integration or reintegration;
28 Child Trafficking in Europe
legal reform; law enforcement; training; and other
activities. Integrating and coordinating the efforts of
other partners, including NGOs, international organizations
and UN agencies, is also vital. Most action plans
are used nationally, defining activities to be implemented
throughout the State. But their scope can
also be extended to international cooperation at the
bilateral, regional or multilateral level.
Once adopted by the government or parliament, the
implementation of a National Action Plan should be
closely monitored to increase its effectiveness. There
is no unified approach on how to follow up and monitor
action plan implementation in European countries.
In some countries, such as Bulgaria, the development
of an action plan on trafficking is included in national
anti-trafficking legislation and its implementation
within a defined time frame is legally binding.
Where National Action Plans are not in place, countries
may pursue other strategies for policy planning,
coordination and cooperation. In Switzerland, for
instance, the main coordinating body on national
anti-trafficking policies has developed a comprehensive
strategy for national implementation. In other
countries, memoranda of understanding or other
mechanisms that institutionalize cooperation between
government and service providers are in place. Where
such agreements also ensure long-term financial
support from the government to service providers,
they clearly contribute to more sustainable policies.
regional trends
National Action Plans on trafficking in human beings
are widespread in Eastern European countries. In the
European Union and other Western European countries,
only 17 of 29 countries have an action plan in place.
Nine countries in CIS have action plans, while in South
Eastern Europe, all 11 countries/entities have adopted
National Action Plans on trafficking in human beings.
The data collected for this study suggest that subregional
cooperation creates incentives for the
development of action plans: Countries that participate
in a regional anti-trafficking cooperation agreement