Evaluating training programmes related to Combating Trafficking in Human Beings (CTHB) in response to the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.
The 5th Capacity Building Expert Meeting was held in Vienna from 4-5 July 2022.
Hosted by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), this year’s meeting focused on evaluating trainings related to Combating Trafficking in Human Beings (CTHB), in response to the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.
Since the start of the conflict, millions of people have fled armed violence in Ukraine—many are vulnerable elderly, women, and children. People fleeing the country have also been using social media as a platform for seeking help and support. While this has enabled a quicker response from aid supporters, it has also increased the risk of refugees becoming targets of human trafficking, as a result of information and location disclosures.
Given this, there is an urgent need for reliable and targeted CTHB trainings to provide transit and destination countries with the capacity to ensure that the right support is provided to Ukrainians in those regions.
The meeting convened members who provide such training and capacity building programmes, with the goal of identifying gaps and needs in relation to the flow of refugees from Ukraine. From gender-sensitive training to safeguarding measures, participants exchanged best practices and lessons learnt on how to improve current trainings and programmes.
ECPAT International’s Head of Global Boys Initiative, Francesco Cecon, attended the meeting. He noted the importance of adopting an inclusive approach in programme development:
“When developing any capacity building actions we need to ensure child-centred and gender-sensitive practices that take into account the specific trajectories of boys and girls who are trafficked for sexual exploitation purposes”
The meeting concluded with a series of recommendations on how to implement and coordinate trainings and capacity building activities in combatting human trafficking in future phases of the response to the Ukraine crisis.