Combating Trafficking in Human Beings in the Russian Federation.The project is implemented by IOM Moscow and funded by Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA)
Overall ObjectiveThis project aims to eradicate trafficking in human beings in Russia through advancement of efforts of the Russian authorities and civil society primarily through enhancement of the prosecution and criminalization processes.
Immediate Objectives
The Project objectives are -
1. To strengthen:
- the ability, technical means, and instrumental base of relevant authorities;
- the understanding and use of relevant legislation;
2. To provide a new, effective approach in combat against THB through financial investigation;
3. To enhance the effectiveness of relevant Russian authorities; to criminalize and prosecute the crime of trafficking in human beings;
4. To promote mechanisms that will increase national funding available for counter-trafficking programs;
5. To support the idea of law enforcement specialisation in the area of trafficking counteraction within national authorities:
- By promoting the idea of specialised educational programmes,
- By promoting cooperation/coordination among authorities within the Russian Federation, as well as with authorities of other countries
6. To increase public awareness of the trafficking problem.
Targeted Group:Relevant authorities of the RF.
1. INTRODUCTION1.1 Amendment of previous IOM Project ProposalAfter a process of nearly one year, the idea of an IOM-implemented counter-trafficking project was finally agreed upon by IOM’s formal counterpart, the RF Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on July 26th, 2007. However, the approval implied a different approach, than planned, to tackle the CT issue, moving the geographical focus from the Russian Barents Region to direct interaction with federal authorities in Moscow, and changing some of the originally envisaged project components. This was the request of concerned federal authorities, i.e. MoI and others, as expressed during a number of meetings during August 2007. The outcome of these meetings forms the present Amended Project Proposal.
Project activities, according to the Amended Project Proposal, will be carried out during the period August 1st, 2007, and will be finalised not later than December 31st, 2009.
1.2 Background Trafficking in persons remains one of the most serious and urgent challenges for migration policy makers and practitioners around the world today.
Russia is widely recognized as the origin, transit and destination country for victims trafficked for the purpose of sexual and slave labour exploitation. In December 2000, Russia signed the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the relative Protocols, including the Protocol to prevent, suppress and punish trafficking in persons, especially women and children, later ratified by the RF Parliament in the spring of 2004.
In December 2003, the President of the Russian Federation signed a decree enacting a set of amendments to the Criminal Code, for the criminalization of trafficking in persons (Article 127-1), of slave labour exploitation (Article 127-2), engagement in prostitution and procuring prostitution (amended Articles 240 and 241).
With the introduction of the amendments, Russian law enforcement authorities, i.e. the Ministry of Interior, the Prosecutor General’s Office, as well as judiciary organs, were provided with the legal framework for the criminalization and prosecution of trafficking-related crimes. However, the lack of previous consistent expertise and experience still represents a challenge which is also reflected in the relatively low number of criminal cases filed as per Articles 127-1 and 127-2. The inadequacy of State structure’s response to trafficking crimes may be then attributed to limited resources, lack of specific methodologies and training options, as well as insufficient cooperation with foreign law enforcement.
Since rates of criminal cases detention, investigation and referrals to court remain disproportionate to the extent of the phenomenon on the territory of the Russian Federation, the issue of a synergic engagement of competent governmental structures has been recently raised. In view of the need to upgrade the state of affairs in this domain, the Government of the Russian Federation is now working to follow up on the “2007-2010 Program of Cooperation between CIS member states in fight against trafficking in human beings”. In Russia, the Plan of Action was signed in November 2006, and as a result a counter-trafficking unit within the Ministry of Interior has been formed in May 2007, to conduct operational activities against trafficking crimes.
At the same time, due to the relatively new legislation, the judiciary system is also in need of upgrading its resources and competences in relation to the changed scenario, implying the need of improving expertise on the judicial domain strictly speaking as well on the basis of recognized international judicial practices on victims’ protection.
2. PROJECT DESCRIPTIONSince the early 1990s, IOM has been engaged in the promotion of solutions to the problem of trafficking in persons through research, information campaigns, technical cooperation activities, and provision of return and reintegration assistance to victims. To date, IOM has implemented 138 counter-trafficking projects worldwide, targeting more than 70 countries in Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe and Latin America. Given its extensive field presence and flexible approach, IOM is in a unique position to work with governments and local non-governmental organizations on an on-going basis – at both the political and project level – to develop and implement sustainable, multi-dimensional programmes to combat trafficking. In order to combat trafficking comprehensively and effectively at each point of its process, IOM takes a three-pronged strategic approach - Prevention, Prosecution and Protection - to developing counter-trafficking policies and programs.
By building upon and complementing past and present activities in the Region to counteract trafficking in human beings, this comprehensive project intends to primarily address the aspect of criminalisation and prosecution as related to mainly non-sexual forms of trafficking, though the latter may also constitute part of the work.
Special attention is paid to monitoring the program-outcome, which allows for a timely evaluation and possible modification of various program components. A set of objectively verifiable indicators will be designed, based on the assessments, and tracked systematically to evaluate project results.
The recommendations and conclusions of implementing partners will be continuously analyzed and integrated into IOM’s work.
This project aims at promoting the national ownership of the counter-trafficking endeavours and equipping relevant federal governmental authorities with the necessary tools to tackle the problem. Such an approach is meant to ensure sustainability and gradual transfer of counter-trafficking functions and know-how to the national bodies.
The chosen approach is multidimensional: it addresses simultaneously law enforcement agencies, in order to improve the investigative and prosecutorial capacity; judicial authorities, in a comprehensive effort to raise their awareness in the phenomenon of trafficking in human beings; youth institutions, given the importance of getting them involved in a preventive stage.
The function of this approach is to establish a multi-agency response to the phenomenon in the Russian Federation.
2.2 Prosecution and Criminalization
2.2.1 Provision of Equipment to Federal Counter-Trafficking Department/Unit/Focal-pointsInternational best-practice shows that trafficking is most effectively combated and victims are better assisted when specialized units are established.Trainings can more effectively target the audience and relevant skills can be adapted quicker.
To support and adequately increase the effectiveness of such units, necessary equipment will be provided to the Federal Counter-Trafficking Unit of the MoI.
2.2.2 Counter-trafficking educational programmeIn cooperation with federal institutions of higher education in Moscow, IOM will undertake a comprehensive Counter-Trafficking Educational Programme. The programme will contain specialized courses focusing on issues of trafficking which will address operative officers, investigators and judges.
The first Specialized Course will be dedicated to the topic of “Combating trafficking in human beings through the use of financial investigations”. A 40 hour course will target detectives and investigators and will be developed in cooperation with international experts and specialists from the Academy of Economic Security of the MoI of Russia.
The second Specialized Course will tackle the “Problems of determination of crimes related to human trafficking. Proof of evidence of THB crimes in pre-trial investigation and trial procedure.” It will address judges and will be developed in cooperation with experts from the Russian Academy of Justice for the total time amount of 16 hours.
In the framework of this component, additional complementary activities will take place:
- Pilot/approbation seminars for both specialized courses will be conducted;
- After approbation seminar and improvement of the LE Course’s content, a Training-for- trainers seminar will be conducted for trainers from other academies of the MoI of the RF;
- An international expert will travel to attend a seminar for Judges;
- Actions towards incorporating the specialized courses in the federal system of training, re-training and upgrading of LE employees and judges will be undertaken;
- Trips for instructors and students to Minsk/Belarus to study the Belarusian counter-trafficking response will be provided;
- Editing, printing and dissemination of handbooks on the topic of THB;
- Technical assistance to Educational institutions will be provided;
- Visit of 2 specialists from Minsk/Belarus to hold workshops for students will take place.
2.2.3 Eight Networking visits to Countries of OriginEffective action against trafficking requires that national measures be coordinated and combined with international measures, in particular with countries of origin of migrants exploited for forced labour in Russia. The project foresees to carry out networking visits for law enforcement, judiciary and other relevant stakeholders, to selected countries of origin, namely to Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus. These visits are intended to facilitate strategic cooperation and exchange of information between relevant Russian authorities and their counterparts in these countries.
2.2.4. Law Enforcement Conference in Moscow/Saint Petersburg 2008/2009Within this Project, an International Law Enforcement conference will be organized in 2008/2009 as a follow-up conference to the international conferences held in Minsk, Kyiv and Chisinau in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008 funded by SIDA. The Conference will be organized and implemented in cooperation with Russian authorities and with the participation of international and national law enforcement experts. The conference aims to facilitate international operational and judicial cooperation, with a further emphasis on the practitioner perspective.
2.2.5 Youth group capacity building and engagementCivil society, particularly non-governmental and youth organizations are crucial for an effective and deeply-rooted counter-trafficking response. In order to promote sustainability and competency of counter-trafficking initiatives of civil society further, this project component foresees cooperation with Universities and youth groups with the aim to increase awareness within the area of countering human trafficking.
The experience of other countries shows that university students and youth groups could give an invaluable input by being socially active in their communities, as they bring in knowledge, skills, new vision and enthusiasm while solving social problems. To promote social responsibility and to facilitate students and youth groups’ broader involvement in many aspects of society life, IOM proposes to conduct a Youth Conference in St. Petersburg/Moscow on community involvement, volunteer work and understanding of human trafficking.
The 1-day youth conference will gather 20 young people representing different associations and institutions.
There will be a competition for the best CT research papers and best final thesis that will include the publication of these research papers.
Objectives include:
- Organize a venue where youth from different regions will be able to get together to learn from each other’s diversities and experiences.
- Build the capacity of those youth leaders who want to be active in their communities in fighting trafficking.
- Create a population of volunteers wanting to work with local civil society to fight trafficking.
- Come up with recommendations at the national, regional and local levels in the area of prevention designed to engage and equip communities to combat the issue of trafficking in persons.
