On 8 February the high-level event dedicated to the cooperation to prevent trafficking in human beings in the Mediterranean Region took place in Rome. The seminar brought together officials and civil society representatives from OSCE participating States including Portugal, Spain, France, Italy and Greece, as well as from OSCE Mediterranean Partner countries including Algeria, Israel, Jordan and Tunisia, to shed light on the exploitation of migrants and explore ways to ensure the protection of their rights, prosecution of perpetrators and sustainable prevention.
Opening session of the event included presentation of Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi, Portuguese State Secretary for Parliamentary Affairs and Equality Teresa Morais, OSCE secretary General Lamberto Zannier, Riccardo Migliori, President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and Ambassador Ihor Prokopchuk, Ukraine’s Permanent Representative and Chairman of the Permanent Council.
The principal objective of the seminar is to initiate a dialogue on trafficking in human beings in the Mediterranean Region.
“In view of gravity of this crime and its impact on security and stability throughout the OSCE region the Ukrainian OSCE Chairmanship has prioritized the issue of fight against human trafficking for the OSCE human dimension agenda in 2013” said Ambassador Ihor Prokopchuk, Ukraine’s Permanent Representative and Chairman of the Permanent Council.