The meeting marked the launch of the action which aims at supporting the improvement of the national institutional framework and anti-trafficking policy planning and implementation, enhancing the involvement of NGOs and non-traditional stakeholders in helping, supporting and protecting victims of trafficking in human beings as well as supporting capacity building of the competent Moldovan institutions in the area of victim identification, investigation and prosecution, as well as international cooperation.
The action is implemented under coordination of the Ministry of the Interior of Lithuania in partnership with the Ministry of the Interior of Latvia and the Ministry of the Interior of Moldova.The State Secretary of the Ministry of the Interior of Moldova Mihail Beregoi highlighted that this action is very on time as the Government of the Republic of Moldova this week has approved the National Strategy for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings 2018-2023 and the Action Plan for the Implementation of the National Strategy for 2018-2020.
During his welcoming speech, the Head of the General Police Inspectorate Alexandru Pinzari stressed that the consolidation of the capacities in the fight against trafficking in human beings is the key priority in the Police Development Strategy 2016-2020.
The representative of the ICMPD stressed that Lithuania is an example to follow for other EU members in initiating the actions under Mobility Partnership Facility. And this is the first project on enhancing the capacities to fight against human trafficking under the Mobility Partnership Facility.
The event gathered more than twenty participants, including the beneficiary state institutions, the Delegation of the European Union to Moldova, non-governmental organizations active in the field of trafficking in human beings and victims protection.
During the meeting, the key achievements and findings of the inception phase as well as the project roadmap for upcoming activities were discussed and agreed with all participants noting the importance of close cooperation and coordination throughout the action implementation phase. Lithuania, Latvia and Moldova have presented the situation on fighting THB in their countries and overall achievement as well as challenges they phase in this area.
The EU supports non-EU countries cooperating with the EU to implement security sector reforms and establish the rule of law on their territory, with the aim of tackling trafficking in human beings, developing capacities of law enforcement, building strong law enforcement and prosecution.
The action is financed by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) under the Mobility Partnership Facility (MPF).
