Uzbekistan's justice response to trafficking

22 July 2008 - A project to strengthen the criminal justice response to human trafficking is underway in Uzbekistan with support from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Over the last decades, drug trafficking and related organized crime in the country has spawned other forms of crime, including human trafficking. The latter has become a lucrative and low risk criminal business.

The Government is increasingly demonstrating a commitment to confront this issue and just recently ratified the Protocol, to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children. Now, national legislation must be made compliant with international protocols, and the justice system provided with the adequate tools to target traffickers and safeguard victims.

In an attempt to address these needs, UNODC's project aims to strengthen national legislation, enhance counter-trafficking policies, strengthen national and international inter-agency cooperation, improve data collection and analysis, and enhance relevant expertise within the law enforcement and prosecution sectors through training.

"The Government approached us more than a year ago to request we assist them in their efforts to address trafficking of its citizens," says James Callahan, UNODC Regional Representative for Central Asia. "I am pleased that the project is now well underway, thanks to the support of Finland, Norway and Sweden."

An assessment of existing anti-trafficking legislation and the criminal justice response to trafficking is already in progress. The findings will go toward recommending ways of improving the country's legal framework. A workshop to support the development of a national strategy to fight human trafficking was also held in May 2008.

"Participants agreed on number of steps to be taken by the Government," says Mr. Callahan. "These included further bringing the national legislation in compliance with international legal instruments, putting in place a mechanism for information exchange between the competent authorities, elaborating legal and practical cooperation mechanisms with countries of transit and destination, and strengthening cooperation between state agencies and non-governmental institutions in the country."

A key component of the project will be the establishment of a national database within the existing anti-trafficking unit in the Ministry of Interior, and subsequent training on its use throughout the country. Police officers, prosecutors and judges will also be trained on different practical aspects of combating human trafficking. Finally, the project will aim to strengthen cooperation with other countries and encourage the signing of bilateral agreements on extradition and mutual legal assistance.