In times of COVID-19 outbreak, a global pandemic, co-operation in the field of protection of human rights remains as important as ever. The European Union and the Council of Europe continue to support the beneficiaries of the action on Preventing and combating trafficking in human beings in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Under new circumstances, the online course on trafficking in human beings available to professionals engaged in fighting trafficking in human beings, has been developed within the Horizontal Facility programme.
The latest annual report from the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) says that the number of people across Europe identified as being victims of human trafficking rose by almost half between 2015 and 2018. At the same time, Bosnia and Herzegovina did not make progress in victims identification – in 2015, 35 victims were identified and in 2018 only 36 victims identified. Also, report highlights the identification of child victims of trafficking and the assistance measures which are provided to child victims as the two biggest gaps in the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings.
Even though the action on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings has become a part of the Horizontal Facility only recently, in the second phase of the programme, it already demonstrates transfer of ownership of joint activities (in this case of this important tool) and efforts, and is a good path toward achievement of sustainability.
At the initiative of the Centre for judicial and prosecutorial training of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (CEST FBiH), and in co-operation with the Centre for judicial and prosecutorial training of Republika Srpska (CEST RS), the action launched initial HELP (Human rights education for legal professionals) module on trafficking in human beings through the web streaming on 31st March 2020.
Tailored to the specific needs of legal professionals in Bosnia and Herzegovina and to the national legal order, this online course aims to increase capacity of legal professionals to detect, identify, investigate, prosecute and sentence human trafficking cases and protect victims’ rights in accordance with the standards of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings.
As of 6 April, 15 participants – judges, prosecutors, professional associate, legal advisors have been registered for the online course. The course is led by the national tutor Adisa Zahiragic, judge and educator at CEST FBiH, supported by the Council of Europe HELP (Human rights education for legal professionals) Unit and Co-author of the course Liliana Sorrentino. The action is taking this opportunity to promote the Council of Europe legal instruments as well as to present benefits and advantages of “online” trainings to judges and prosecutors.
Expressed interest and initiative of one of the main beneficiaries of the action in organising a joint activity that will provide an essential tool for legal professionals in preventing and combating trafficking in human beings, despite the challenges posed by the global pandemic is truly encouraging. Representatives of the CEST RS and CEST FBiH included HELP online course on trafficking in human beings on a list of initial and professional training programs for 2020.