SUMMARY

The "Counter-Trafficking Capacity Building and Awareness Raising Activities for Officials in the Baltic States" pilot project aims to prevent and curtail trafficking in human beings in, to, from, and through Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia through targeted capacity building and competence development for law enforcement and government officials, with a particular focus on improving the efficiency of the prosecution process in trafficking cases.

A regional seminar bringing together Baltic law enforcement officials and NGO representatives will strengthen intra-regional coordination and cooperation in combating trafficking. Additionally, assistance will be given to around twenty trafficking victims from the Baltics to return home to their countries of origin and receive reintegration assistance.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

This project builds on completed and current IOM counter-trafficking projects in the Baltic States. Commensurate with e-PINE goals, the project will have a specific focus on enhancing the intra-regional cooperation of relevant law enforcement agencies, legal practitioners, and government officials working in the Baltic and States.

Activities of the project:

Module 1. Targeted research on trafficking prosecutions
Research will be carried out in each of the Baltic States to look into issues related to the prosecution of trafficking cases, and in particular obstacles to the prosecution process.

Module 2. Development of Lithuanian training manual
IOM Vilnius will develop a specialized training manual and other training material for use in the training workshops to be implemented in Module 4.

Module 3. Development of Latvian and Estonian training manuals
The IOM offices in Latvia and Estonia will modify the training manual developed in Module 2 based on the research carried out in Module 1 and expert interviews and a training needs assessment.

Module 4. Institutional Capacity Building
IOM will organize three training workshops in Latvia and Lithuania and two training workshops in Estonia for law enforcement officials, including prosecutors, judges, and lawyers that are working in the field of counter-trafficking, as well as border guard operational/intelligence services.

Module 5. Regional seminar
IOM will organize a two-day regional seminar in Riga for fifteen law enforcement officials and NGO representatives from each of the Baltic States.

Module 6. Assistance to Victims of Trafficking
IOM will provide return and reintegration assistance to around twenty victims of trafficking.

TARGET GROUPS
Law enforcement officials, prosecutors, judges, civil society representatives.

OVERALL OBJECTIVE
The objective of the "Counter-Trafficking Capacity Building and Awareness Raising for Officials in the Baltic States" pilot project is to prevent and curtail trafficking in human beings, especially women and children, in Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia through targeted capacity building, competence development, and enhanced intra-regional cooperation.

PROJECT PARTNERS/INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK
Ministries of Interior, Justice, and Foreign Affairs, National Police, Border Guards and Migration Offices in Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia

DONOR
• United States Department of State
• The British Embassy in Riga