From: Ms. Florence Le Clezio <FLeClezio@osce.org>

To: Recipients of OSCE Press Releases <mfleming@osce.org>

Sent: Wednesday, December 13, 2000 6:16 PM

Subject: press release

> STABILITY PACT FOR SOUTH EASTERN EUROPE
>
> TASK FORCE ON TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS
>
>
>                            PRESS RELEASE
>                                  
>                 STABILITY PACT COUNTRIES SIGN "ANTI-
>                       TRAFFICKING DECLARATION"
>                                  
> Palermo, 13 December 2000 ¯ An "Anti-Trafficking Declaration"
> was signed today by Government Ministers from the countries of
> the Stability Pact for South-Eastern Europe, recognizing the
> "pressing and growing importance" of the problem of trafficking in
> human beings in the region and launching regional action and co-
> operation.
>
> "Today we have taken another significant step in the fight against
> trafficking in human beings in Europe," said Minister Helga Konrad,
> Co-ordinator of the Stability Pact's Task Force on Trafficking in
> Human Beings. "The agreement to create national anti-trafficking
> co-ordinators in these countries will enable national and
> international resources to be targeted far more effectively in
> combating this highly organized and lucrative crime."
>
> As a concrete measure to step up the fight against trafficking in
> human beings in South-Eastern Europe, the Ministers agreed to
> nominate high-level co-ordinators who will be tasked with co-
> ordinating national and regional activities, exchanging information
> at a regional level, and follow up on Ministerial decisions.  The co-
> ordinators will prepare progress reports and suggest further action
> to combat trafficking.  The Ministers agreed to meet regularly once
> every year to review the progress in the field of combating
> trafficking and to give political guidance.
>
> In the Declaration, the Ministers recognized trafficking as a human
> rights problem and agreed to address the issue in a regional and
> co-operative way.  They acknowledged the responsibility of the
> States to fight against trafficking by implementing effective
> programmes of prevention, victim protection, legislative reform, law
> enforcement training and prosecution of traffickers.  The Ministers
> also expressed the need for enhanced awareness raising and
> training programmes for border officials, police, judges,
> prosecutors, and consular personnel. 
>
> The Declaration was signed on the margins of the UN Conference
> on the signing of the International Crime Convention and its
> Optional Protocol on Trafficking in Human Beings by Ministers from
> Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the former
> Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, Romania, Slovenia,
> Turkey, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and representatives
> from Kosovo and Montenegro.
>
>       office:  Hofburg Congress Centre, A-1010 Vienna, Austria
> ( +43.1-531.37-380, -410   -    facsimile: +43.1-531.37-528   -   e-
>                        mail: hkonrad@osce.org