Trafficking in Human Beings in Southeastern Europe - Iom

Trafficking in Human Beingsin Southeastern EuropeRepublic ofMoldovabut the group only worked spasmodically and stopped all activities after theelections and changes in government in February 2001.On 9 November 2001, the National Committee for Combating Trafficking inHuman Beings was created at the level of deputy ministers, with the DeputyPrime Minister Valerian Cristea, as the Co-ordinator of the Committee. At thesame meeting the Committee adopted the National Plan of Action for combatingtrafficking in human beings. 502.2. Roles of government, international organisations andNGOsAfter years of ignoring the problem of trafficking, a significant amount of workhas been done in Moldova in the last two years, especially in the area of raisingawareness. However, it has to be added that these activities were initiated byinternational organisations, subsidized by foreign institutions and implementedby NGOs, without any support from the government.After elections in February 2001, the new Prime Minister declared traffickingin human beings to be the priority issue for the government and a willingnessto participate in international co-operation. Although the Moldavian representativeon Working Table III of the Stability Pact, working on the traffickingissue, has not yet been appointed, the Co-ordinator for the Moldavian participationin the Stability Pact has already started his work. Close co-operationhas been established with the SECI Centre, even though Moldova does nothave a liaison officer in Bucharest.However, there still no clear government policy on trafficking. The reason islack of resources on the one hand, and on the other, wide spread corruptionand the connections that government officials and police have with organisedcrime groups and the profits they make from trafficking in drugs, cars andhuman beings. The Anti-Trafficking Unit, consisting of just a few police officers,the so-called “Moral Police”, is not well equipped, has no communicationlines and no petrol for their car, neither are they paid for months in a row.There are a number of international agencies actively involved in anti-traffickingwork in Moldova. In June 2001, UNICEF co-ordinated the establishment ofa Task Force on Trafficking, an inter-agency initiative for co-operation, commonaction and exchange of information about anti-trafficking initiatives. Todate the group includes UNICEF, UNHCR, IOM, OSCE, UNDP, US Embassy,French Embassy, the European Commission and local NGOs. There is a databasebeing created of all the actions and responses to trafficking in Moldova.2.3. Prevention and raising awarenessThe government has participated in various initiatives of the internationalorganisations, including police training organised by the NGO Winrock International,and in collaboration with La Strada, is planning a campaign to raiseawareness in schools. At policy level, the government has elaborated anational strategy on children and family protection.The Ministry of Labour organised an international conference in September2000 on the problem of trafficking in human beings with the support of OSCE,CoE and IOM. A governmental report on trafficking “On continuous expansionof Trafficking in Human Beings and Anti-Trafficking Measures undertaken by3050.“Monitorul oficial” no.136-138/1274 from 15 November 2001.