A three-day seminar titled “Prevention and Combating of Human Trafficking for the Purpose of Labour Exploitation” was held in Vrnjacka Banja as part of the project “Strengthening anti-trafficking action in Serbia”, within joint European Union and Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”. The seminar aimed to enhance the capacity of labour inspectors to identify and protect victims of human trafficking, with an emphasis on promoting cooperation among institutions and civil society organizations, as well as respecting the rights of victims and the specific needs of children.
The meeting brought together 23-25 representatives of the Labor Inspection, along with representatives of the Office for Coordination of Activities in the Fight against Human Trafficking, the Center for the Protection of Victims of Human Trafficking, and the NGO Atina. Leading the seminar, Marija Andjelkovic from the NGO ASTRA and Professor Milan Zarkovic presented various aspects of combating human trafficking, including international and national legal frameworks, indicators of forced labor, and the role of labor inspection in combating human trafficking, through the presentation of a good practice example from Belgium.
On the first day of the seminar, participants got acquainted through an introductory session that included the presentation of the program, facilitators, and participants, while the second day covered topics such as basic concepts related to human trafficking, as well as international and national legal frameworks for combating human trafficking and forced labor. The third day of the seminar included a discussion on the national mechanism for referral and multi-sectoral cooperation, focusing on the roles of key actors.
The seminar’s objectives included acquiring knowledge for labor inspectors to effectively detect, identify, and refer victims of human trafficking, strengthening cooperation in the fight against human trafficking, exchanging knowledge on methods and techniques for investigating cases, and presenting a good practice example from Belgium. This event was an important step in raising awareness and building capacity to combat human trafficking in Serbia.