CBSS - Task Force against Trafficking in Human Beings with focus on adults Stop Trafficking and Stand for Health! Conference 20 September 2010 Riga, Latvia

The Council of the Baltic Sea States The Council of the Baltic Sea States was founded in 1992 and is an international regional organisation focusing on intensified cooperation among the Baltic Sea States. The Secretariat is based in Stockholm, Sweden

The Council has 12 members Denmark Estonia Finland Germany Iceland Latvia Lithuania Norway Poland Russia Sweden The European Commission + 10 observer states

The CBSS - Task Force against Trafficking in Human Beings with focus on adults (TF-THB) The TF-THB has existed since 2006 and was developed out of the work of the Nordic Baltic Task Force against Trafficking in Human Beings The TF-THB consists of national experts from relevant ministries in all the CBSS capitals

TF-THB: Overall Objective The CBSS TF-THB strives to counteract trafficking in human beings in the Baltic Sea Region and its near vicinity through preventive and protective activities The emphasis is on practical hands on work- project implementation Mandated to fight human trafficking for all forms of exploitation

TF-THB: Strategic activities Trainings on Human Trafficking for Diplomatic and Consular Personnel in cooperation with the IOM Moldova Joint Project with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on Fostering NGO-Law Enforcement Cooperation in Preventing and Combating Human Trafficking in, from and to the Baltic Sea Region Information Campaign against Trafficking in Human Beings Improved Data Collection and Support to Research on Human Trafficking in the Region Comparative Regional Legal Analysis on Human Trafficking

Trainings on Human Trafficking for Diplomatic and Consular Personnel CBSS Member States, Observer States plus other relevant embassies from countries of origin, transit or destination Provide the consular and diplomatic sections with tools in order to know when to react and how to act Share experiences and network Produce a handbook to be used at the embassies

Trainings on Human Trafficking for Diplomatic and Consular Personnel Denmark : Estonia, Iceland, Lithuania, Finland and Brussels 2010: Poland 12 May Sweden 31 May Spain 8 June Germany 10 June Norway 14 October Latvia 10 November Russia

Joint TF-THB – UNODC Project Project to assess existing cooperation mechanisms between state actors and civil society organisations in the 11 CBSS Member States Assessment study: Human Trafficking in the Baltic Sea Region: State and Civil Society Cooperation on Victims Assistance and Protection

Pilot Information Campaign Target travel spots in Sweden Connected to a hotline that foreign women in Sweden, who might be potential victims of trafficking or are at the risk of becoming victims of trafficking, can call for assistance If successful possibility to run the info campaign in other CBSS Member States

Data Collection and Research Assessment study on data collection mechanisms in the 11 CBSS Member States Research Seminar: The Nexus between Research and Operative Work, 25 November 2010 Uppsala University, Sweden

Regional Legal Analysis Upcoming: Assessment of the existing legislation for protection of victims of human trafficking and the possibility for harmonisation in this field

Stop Trafficking and Stand for Health! Human Trafficking understood as a serious health issue, because it goes hand in hand with physical and psychological harm Trafficked persons exposed to health risks before, during and after the exploitation In most extreme cases trafficking related abuses and post trafficking psychological symptoms can be compared to violence and psychological reactions identified in torture victims

Stop Trafficking and Stand for Health! Therefore, it is essential to mainstream a health perspective into policies directed to target human trafficking in order to fully and holistically support trafficked persons and foster their well-being and consequently their reintegration

Stop Trafficking and Stand for Health! Joint TF-THB – UNODC Report: Access to health care and the range of assistance for trafficked persons is dependent in some CBSS Member States on the residence status (regular or irregular); Link between identification procedure and service provision; Health personnel and public officials often ignore or differently interpret regulations applicable to trafficked persons and are not equipped with knowledge on how to identify trafficked persons;

Stop Trafficking and Stand for Health! Joint TF-THB – UNODC Report: Increasing numbers of trafficked persons identified for whom existing support and assistance systems are not equipped -> decline assistance and do not receive needed support; The right to receive support without being interrogated during the reflection period is not always respected; Failures to ensure appropriate treatment of trafficked persons in return and reintegration processes -> health consequences and risk of re-trafficking;

Stop Trafficking and Stand for Health! Data Collection Project Gaps in data collection concerning assistance accepted, denied or declined by trafficked persons -> consequences for the development of adequate assistance schemes; Lack of information concerning compensation (to address especially long term health consequences of human trafficking);

Stop Trafficking and Stand for Health! Recommendations from the Nordic Baltic expert meeting: Real access to health care Compensation for victims National and cross border anti-trafficking policies

CBSS- Secretariat Marta Bociek Project Officer, CBSS Task Force against Trafficking in Human Beings Council of the Baltic Sea States Secretariat P.O. Box 2010 SE Stockholm t/f: / 1944 e:

twitter.com/TFTHB Thank you for your attention!