20. 4. 2018 | Danube, PR
Trafficking in human beings (THB) is a complex phenomenon that is highly dependent on regional and local economic, social as well as cultural factors. Priority Area 10 is playing an active role in facilitating a discussion among experts, municipalities, cities and non-governmental organizations. Only common efforts can result in tangible steps for combating human trafficking and exploitation.
On April 18th 2018 around 30 experts, practitioners, academics, representatives of municipalities, civil society organizations, international organizations and others interested in the topic of combating human trafficking from nine countries from Danube Region and wider gathered in Slovenia.
They dedicated lively discussion and exchange of views on opportunities for strengthening the role of municipalities and cities in preventing and combating human trafficking and exploitation. They have touched upon various angles of this highly multifaced problem that has rarely only national effect – most often regional approach is bringing the most results. Round table was moderated by Ms Helga Konrad that is currently serving as a director of the Regional Implementation Initiative on preventing and combating human trafficking in Vienna. With her vast experiences on all policy levels she steered discussion towards practical and concrete answers, proposals and actions.
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Slovene national coordinator for combating trafficking in human beings (THB) Mr Sandi Čurin expressed his satisfaction that discussion on combating THB moved from expert to political level. Within Brdo process regional ministers and national coordinators of the THB accepted joined declaration where they agreed that comprehensive and coordinated approach both at national level and within regional initiatives is crucial. This was similarly emphasized by Ms Tetiana Rudenko from OSCE Office of the Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings. In their action plan they focus on prevention, prosecution, protection and co-ordination and partnerships.
For this reason, they have organized among others a training with extensive simulation on Combating Human Trafficking Along Migration Routes that brought many challenges in multi-level cooperation on the surface. Ms Alexandra Malangone shared some details from the simulation that is providing a safe environment for extensive learning for practitioners with various backgrounds that have to work together.
Mr Mike Dottridge presented his suggestions for improved and quicker identification of children being abused and/or exploited on the street and how municipalities could play more important role. One of the most effective preventive actions would surely be discouragement of the demand which is responsibility of us all not only public institutions. Mr Philipp Schwertmann completely agreed, as he is striving to inform migrants and others about their labor rights which are often crucially connected to countering the THB. One of his suggestion was to introduce a due diligence in supply chain, which could be efficiently used as well by municipalities in cities that are many times large investors. Mr Stefano Volpicelli shared his experiences from some Italian cities and Malta, where they proved that if there is political will than many barriers can be minimized. In shared cases municipality majors played an important coordinative role that was at the same time the main machine for designing the cooperation mechanism that was effective and well accepted by the local population.
Additionally, practices from cities of Barcelona, Vienna and Ljubljana were shared together with come concrete and valuable insights by the present civil society organizations and academics. Some of the final conclusions called for creative thinking (out of the box) when designing the anti-trafficking policies, great patience and understating when working with victims, better coordination of multi-level actors as well as for instant removal of various administrative barriers that prevent actors on the ground to be more efficient as well as victim-centered.
Comprehensive report will follow shortly.
5. 4. 2018 | Danube, PR
Trafficking in human beings (THB) is a complex phenomenon that is highly dependent on regional and local economic, social as well as cultural factors. Priority Area 10 is playing an active role in facilitating a discussion among experts, municipalities, cities and non-governmental organizations. Only common efforts can result in tangible steps for combating human trafficking and exploitation.
We are inviting you to save the date for our round table on 18 April 2018 that will take place at Jable Castle, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Focus of discussion will be on strengthening the role of municipalities and cities in preventing & combating human trafficking & exploitation: The Importance of a coordinated and integrated approach. Detailed programe with experts participating: DCAHT AGENDA.
For more information and confirmation of your attendance, please contact PAC Slovenia, Ms Nina Čepon at [email protected]
More about the seminar from last November can be read at goo.gl/KLakLY
12. 3. 2018 | Danube, PR
Trafficking in human beings (THB) is a complex phenomenon that is highly dependent on regional and local economic, social as well as cultural factors. Priority Area 10 is playing an active role in facilitating a discussion among experts, municipalities, cities and non-governmental organizations. Only common efforts can result in tangible steps for combating human trafficking and exploitation.
We are inviting you to save the date for our round table on 18 April 2108 that will take place at Jable castle, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Focus of discussion will be on strengthening the role of municipalities and cities in preventing & combating human trafficking & exploitation: The Importance of a coordinated and integrated approach. Detailed programme will follow soon.
More about the seminar from last November can be read at goo.gl/KLakLY
12. 3. 2018 | Danube, PR, Youth
Young are indispensable and very resourceful part of each society. Active and creative minds are important for economic development, prosperity as well as for positive outlook. We have therefore identified start-ups as one of the most active among young and decided to bring them together to discuss their views and experiences. We are most interested in their participation in policy processes and ideas how to make their lives better and meaningful in the region they share – Danube region.
As Slovenia is hosting an important regional conference related to start-up world, Podim conference, our discussion will be organized at the same time – to offer young twofold experience: sharing experiences and knowing peers from the region and listening to excellent entrepreneurs, startups as well as investors. So save the date on 15 and 16 May!
We invite two startups from each country to join us! Tickets and accommodation will be provided for best two ideas from each country*, so apply fast – only until Friday, 23.3.2018! You should apply through the link for your country below.
You can read about our last year’s gathering – 2017 gathering report.
BOSNIA and HERZEGOVINA
BULGARIA
CROATIA
CZECH REPUBLIC
HUNGARY
MOLDOVA
MONTENEGRO
ROMANIA
SERBIA
SLOVAKIA
UKRAINE
* Austria, Germany and Slovenia are excluded as their youth is well represented through other projects.
22. 1. 2018 | Danube, PR
For victims of trafficking in human beings, the Danube Region is not only a destination for exploitation. A significant amount of victims of human trafficking in Europe is recruited from within the Danube Region, in particular within Romania and Bulgaria. Cities and municipalities can play a crucial role in identifying and assisting victims as well as preventing trafficking in human beings as local actors are closest to both victims and traffickers. Effectively combatting trafficking in human beings requires cooperation between different local stakeholders from public authorities and law enforcement, civil society and further actors involved in the field as well as a coordinated transnational approach. However, cities and municipalities often lack the capacities and know-how to act accordingly and need to establish cooperation ties between the various stakeholders.
Priority Area 10 “Institutional Capacity and Cooperation” of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) organized the Round Table on “Preventing & Combating Human Trafficking and Exploitation at Local Level” in Vienna on 24th of November 2017. Experts and newcomers from public administration, civil society, international organizations and academia shared their experience in the fight against trafficking in human beings (THB). Slovene experiences were presented by Society Ključ (Društvo Ključ) and Slovenian Karitas, supported by CEP representative.
The participants emphasized the important role of local actors in fighting trafficking in human beings as they are the closest to both victims and traffickers and can therefore more easily detect them. However, there are severe gaps and training needs among frontline responders. Claudia Singer (EUSDR Priority Area 10) presented the recent “Guidelines for Municipalities” in the Danube Region that provides some guidance for identifying and assisting victims of human trafficking as well as mapping and preventing human trafficking at local level.
In a current study, the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) analyses the risks of exploitation, training needs as well as good practices in victim protection. Enrico Ragaglia (ICMPD) pointed out that one of the challenges is that victims might not be aware what crime they are victim of, which makes the detection of victims more difficult for official bodies. Additionally, the status of victims can be challenged through the transnationality of the crime, meaning that victims of human trafficking might not be classified as victims in the legal sense in the country of destination as the crime of human trafficking took place in a different country. Thus, victims are not part of a legal procedure and are not granted victim rights.
Against this background, the experts shared examples of proven measures to support victims such as toll-free helplines, setting up crisis units with stakeholders from different sectors that assist victims and evaluate the state of play on a regular basis, drafting a set of tasks for collaboration or envisaging protection programmes. Experts from city administrations and civil society presents some good practices addressing better coordination through standing working groups (Vienna, AT), cooperation between civil society and law enforcement (Ljubljana, SI), comprehensive assistance for victims (Barcelona, ES) and awareness raising (Moscow, RU).
The next D-CAHT seminar will take place in the first half of 2018 in Ljubljana, Slovenia.
The Round Table on “Preventing & Combating Human Trafficking and Exploitation at Local Level” is part of the initiative Danube Cities Against Human Trafficking (D-CAHT) of Priority Area 10 “Institutional Capacity and Cooperation” of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR). The initiative aims at raising awareness of trafficking in human beings among local actors, providing local actors, administration, representatives of NGOs with information and know-how by highlighting good practices in cities and municipalities and identifying common challenges and provide practical tools for the work of local actors.
The Round Table on “Preventing & Combating Human Trafficking and Exploitation at Local Level” was co-financed by the Interreg Danube Transnational Programme/European Union and the city of Vienna.
Documents:
Guidelines for Municipalities: Stepping up local action against human trafficking in the EU Strategy for the Danube Region
Danube Cities against Human Trafficking: Round Table on Preventing and Combating Human Trafficking and Exploitation at Local Level
12. 12. 2017 | Danube, PR
European Parliament recently published Report on the implementation of EU macro-regional strategies, where the institution strongly supports macro-regional integration and offers a number of elements and suggestions for concrete activities on the level of macro-regions in the future.
Macro-regional strategies have gained importance in recent years as a platform for transnational cooperation between Member States but also with third countries. They provide an integrated framework to address mutual challenges and exploit common potential. In the 2014-2020 programming period, MRS have been incorporated in the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESI Funds) programmes.
Currently, four existing MRS (Baltic, Danube, Adriatic-Ionian and Alpine) are bringing together 19 Member States and 8 non-EU countries. Some Member States participate in more than one MRS, whereas Slovenia is the only country that participates in three macro-regions.
MRS are set within the boundaries of the “three no’s” principle: no new EU funds, no additional EU formal structures and no new EU legislation. Financial support does come in form of European Territorial Cooperation (ETC) transnational cooperation programmes which are financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
As the Commission states, MRS are about more than just funding because they “bring citizens of different Member States together and improve their social and economic living conditions through trans-border cooperation.”
Centre for European Perspective as the coordinator of the EU Strategy for Danube Region’s priority area Institutional Capacity and Cooperation in the Danube Region (PA 10) aims to promote cooperation between the 14 countries (Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Moldova and Ukraine) for enhancing sustainable development and competitiveness of this part of Europe and follows closely the developments in the field.
A full report of the European Parliament can be accessed here.
