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Efforts of the Government of Belarus in fighting trafficking
in persons
(as of December 2004)
The Government of the Republic of Belarus pays utmost attention to the
issues, associated with trafficking in persons, and undertakes comprehensive
measures to combat modern slavery. As the issue of human trade has become
global, Belarus finds itself involved more and more into the international
net of sexual exploitation and distribution of child pornography. Gravity of
this issue is determined by its significant scale, and enormous damage it
inflicts upon physical and psychological health of the Belarusian society,
its moral values.
Belarus is mainly a country of origin of trafficked women. Available data
analysis shows that Belarusian women are exported to more than 30 countries
of the world. Main destination is Western Europe, as well as some Middle
Eastern nations.
As
some other leaders around the globe, the President of Belarus has recognized
the issue of human trafficking to become a priority of national policy.
Ministry of Interior (MOI) coordinates efforts in this sphere.
Measures undertaken by now to fight human trade in Belarus are directed to:
-
developing international contacts;
- improving national legislation;
- building special units in law enforcement agencies;
- educating young women seeking employment abroad;
- developing chain of institutions to assist victims of human trafficking.
In
December 2004 Interagency Commission on crime, corruption and drug
trafficking of the Security Council of Belarus specifically considered
additional steps to deal with this problem.
Belarus has become a party to seven international conventions and their
optional instruments, dealing with different aspects of human trafficking,
including UN Convention against transnational organized crime and additional
Protocol on prevention and elimination of human trade, especially women and
children, and punishment for it. Belarus has also concluded bilateral
agreements on law enforcement cooperation with a number of nations.
Currently there are five projects against human trafficking being
implemented in Belarus. They involve participation of governmental agencies,
international organizations, national NGOs, governments of the United
States, Sweden and the Netherlands. The Government of Belarus also
implements comprehensive long-term program against human trade and
prostitution, adopted in 2001 and updated in 2004. Ministry of Internal
Affairs especially closely cooperates with the European Commission, UNDP
Mission to Belarus, International Organization for Migration (IOM),
Belarusian Association of Young Christian Women, and others.
In
2003-2004 Belarusian Government in concert with NGOs conducted a number of
international conferences, seminars on the different aspects of interaction
in fighting human trafficking. In May 2003 Minsk hosted international
conference on the perspectives of international cooperation of law
enforcement agencies. More than 140 delegates from 18 countries took part in
the event. In June 2004 NGO Center on Human Rights organized conference
“Right to life: terrorism, trafficking, euthanasia, abortion, capital
punishment”, attended by representatives of governmental bodies, judicial
system, clerical circles, mass media, international organizations, NGOs, and
diplomatic corps in Belarus.
The Belarusian legislation contains about 50 articles aimed at combating
crimes against women and children. For instance, penalty for trade in
persons for sexual or other exploitation will be 5 to 10 years of
imprisonment; kidnapping a person for sexual exploitation – 5 to 15 years;
recruiting people for sexual exploitation – up to 10 years of imprisonment.
Significant amount of work is being done to bring national legislation into
compliance with the norms of international law, namely with the UN
Convention on transnational organized crime and its Protocol on prevention
and elimination of human trade, especially women and children.
At
the initiative of the President governmental agencies of Belarus have
prepared a draft decree “On some measures to fight human trafficking”. This
act will aim at those spheres of human trafficking that were left
unregulated before, namely, modeling business, employment abroad,
advertising, etc.
Currently national legislation doesn’t stipulate criminal responsibility for
distribution of child pornography while other countries, including
neighboring ones, have already strengthened measures against this sort of
crime. Inactivity in this area may result in Belarus’ becoming a center of
distribution of child pornography. Therefore, as data shows significant rise
in such cases, Ministry of the Interior has proposed a measure to introduce
responsibility for distribution of child pornography.
Last year law enforcement agencies of Belarus eliminated four organized
crime groups acting in this sphere. In all, during first 9 months of 2004
there were 25 crimes of child pornography uncovered and 13 related persons
apprehended. 107 people were imposed administrative responsibility for
distribution of such materials.
MOI has a three-tier organizational structure, dealing with issues of human
trafficking: national, regional, and local level. In 2004 Ministry of the
Interior created special division to counteract human trade for purposes of
sexual and other exploitation. These structural improvements have brought
striking results – during last three years number of uncovered crimes has
risen by 3 times. In 2001 the number of such crimes was 197, in 2002 – 443,
2003 – 535, in January – November 2004 – 555. During this period 71 criminal
gangs were eliminated, of them 40 – in 2004. In addition 3 arrested gangs
are qualified as transnational.
Out of 555 crimes registered during 11 months of 2004 17 are qualified as
human trade, 72 – recruiting people for sexual exploitation, 307 – keeping
brothels and pimping (including 91 for trafficking people abroad), 27 –
dissemination of pornographic materials, 128 – inducing youngsters into
asocial behavior (including 78 involving prostitution), and 4 – kidnapping
with trafficking abroad. In all, 184 crimes related to trafficking people
abroad were uncovered. About 400 women were identified as victims of
trafficking.
In
2004 214 people were found involved in crimes against morality, of them 16 –
foreign citizens. In 2002 – first half of 2004 293 persons were convicted of
such crimes, of them 70 were imprisoned.
Belarusian Government has started to pay closer attention to modeling
business as one of the means to lure young women into prostitution and
traffic them abroad. Law enforcement agencies have conducted comprehensive
check-ups of the compliance of activities with the national legislation of
modeling businesses as well as companies rendering assistance in finding
employment abroad.
Preventive measures have also become an integral part of the governmental
agencies’ strategy in fighting human trafficking. Programs, interviews,
media reports, social advertising on different aspects of human trafficking
constitute massive deliberate campaign with the utmost goal to educate
Belarusians on the dangers of modern slavery.
MOI and the Office of Prosecutor General of Belarus have developed several
reference and methodology books, based on national and foreign experience,
on the ways to prevent human trafficking and methods to fight this crime in
practice.
The Ministry of Education of Belarus has prepared for educational
institutions a brochure “Organization of work on prevention of trade in
human beings”. The book contains all necessary materials related to the
issue: history of the problem, international and national legislation, ways
and methods used by human traffickers, consequences of have been trafficked,
practical experience of NGOs and international organizations, examples from
real life.
The Ministry of Healthcare has included in academic programs in schools
subjects of legal education, moral and sexual upbringing and healthy way of
life.
There’s a free-of-charge round-the-clock phone line for all women, who need
a consultation on the issue of being employed abroad or receive necessary
help once they are victims of violence.
Currently there are 2 specialized crisis centers in Belarus as well as 28
NGOs rendering legal, psychological assistance to women, who suffered from
violence; disseminating educational information on the issue of human
trafficking. Besides, Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Belarus
maintains 23 centers of social services to families and children, where
victims of human trade can receive qualified help. The Ministry has also a
database of all specialized institutions and organizations in Belarus and
Europe, assisting victims of human trafficking.
In
July 2004 EU and UNDP in the framework of the project “Struggle against
trade in women in the Republic of Belarus” opened in Minsk a rehabilitation
shelter for victims of human trafficking.
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