Institutions and civil society in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia are intensifying cooperation to combat the trafficking of children for the purpose of forced begging, which represents a long-standing and pressing challenge faced by both countries.
At a joint meeting held on October 2 in Sarajevo, representatives of ministries, prosecutor’s offices, courts, law enforcement agencies, social services, and civil society organizations exchanged practical experiences on investigations and criminal proceedings, the protection of children – victims of human trafficking, as well as the frequent challenges they encounter.
Opening the session, Stanislava Tanić from the Ministry of Security of BiH and Nenad Simić, Serbia’s national coordinator for the fight against human trafficking at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, presented the current situation in their respective countries. Discussions covered concrete cases from practice and the methods applied in judicial proceedings, along with the obstacles faced and lessons learned on how to overcome them. The importance of clear roles and allocation of responsibilities among all relevant actors was emphasized – from investigative actions and evidence collection to support for victims and prosecution of perpetrators.
The role of referral mechanisms, mobile teams, and civil society organizations was particularly highlighted, especially in early detection and provision of assistance. Participants agreed that timely and adequate protection for children who are victims of human trafficking requires strong cooperation among all relevant actors, with the welfare of the child as the ultimate basis for all agreed measures.
The meeting was organized as a joint activity of the Council of Europe project “Strengthening Access to Justice and Effective Legal Remedies for Victims of Human Trafficking in Bosnia and Herzegovina”, implemented within the Council of Europe Action Plan for Bosnia and Herzegovina 2022–2025, and the project “Strengthening the Fight Against Human Trafficking in Serbia”, carried out under the joint European Union and Council of Europe program “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey”.
Text taken from the link.