Speeches and Interviews of the Permanent Representative

Mr. Chairperson,

Mr. Richey,

We are pleased to welcome you to this meeting of the Permanent Council. We take this opportunity to congratulate you once again on your appointment to this responsible and important post.

Unfortunately, despite the continuous efforts of the international community to combat trafficking in human beings, this terrible phenomenon has not only not disappeared from the OSCE area but is also taking on new forms. It is still based on poverty and social isolation, marginalization of some sectors of the population, a legalized sex industry, inadequate socio-economic support for maternity and childhood and, in general, to the shame of humanity in the twenty-first century, a steady demand for “human goods”. Children and women, refugees and migrants, who are more likely than others to become victims of traffickers, are the ones who are in primary need of assistance.

In an era of rapid development of technology, including medical technology, close attention should be paid to the means used on the Internet by traffickers in human beings and to the illegal removal of human organs, tissues and cells as one of the key aspects of this criminal market.

Regarding the relationship between human trafficking and terrorism, there is a need in our view for thorough fact-checking and consideration of the relevant international legal framework.

This year’s conference of the Alliance against Trafficking in Persons placed an important emphasis on increasing the effectiveness of the fight against this phenomenon in situations where traffickers use modern communication technologies to recruit, transport and exploit victims. The meeting of national anti-trafficking co-ordinators in Bratislava on 22 and 23 October and the conference in Tashkent on 13 and 14 November on the role of the courts in combating trafficking in human beings were both useful. The

Russian representatives took an active part in these two forums.

In general, we believe in the need for a comprehensive approach to the problem of trafficking. It should cover the prevention and eradication of the root causes of the phenomenon, the protection of victims and the prosecution of perpetrators. We welcome your intention to focus next year on these very issues.