A two-day international conference takes place this week in the Belarus capital, Minsk, on strengthening cooperation between source and destination countries in combating human trafficking.

The conference, on the 26-27 October, has been organized by the Belarus Ministry of Internal Affairs and IOM in cooperation with the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

The event will bring together representatives of governmental bodies from the CIS countries, Central, Western and South-Eastern Europe, the Gulf states, as well as international organizations such as the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and diplomatic missions of foreign states in the Republic of Belarus and public associations.

The conference, bringing together a wide array of source and destination countries, will provide a unique opportunity to share best world-wide practices in fighting human trafficking. Special focus will be given to cooperation of law-enforcement agencies from source and destination countries, the problem of trafficking in children and labour exploitation.

"For too long now, we have all been looking at destination countries as having the primary responsibility in combating trafficking.  The idea of this conference is not just to identify the many gaps in cooperation between source and destination countries, but also to see what more can be done on the demand side in destination countries while fully respecting the rights and well-being of victims," said IOM’s head of counter-trafficking, Richard Danziger.

A press-conference will take place at 11 am on 26 October 2006 at "Planeta" hotel: Minsk, Pobediteley ave., 31.

For further information please contact:

Tatyana Bugaeva
IOM Minsk Office
Tel.: +375 17 284 46 91
E-mail: tbugaeva@iom.org.by