3-4 Mar. 2005

Avoiding military involvement in human trafficking Topics Trafficking in human beings Key links Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland A seminar in Helsinki, Finland, on 3 and 4 March has allowed NATO and partner countries to examine the best practices for avoiding military involvement in human trafficking. In June 2004, at their Istanbul Summit meeting, 46 NATO member and partner countries adopted a zero-tolerance policy regarding trafficking in human beings by their forces and staff. The policy commits NATO and partner countries to reinforce efforts to prevent and combat trafficking. Examining best practices The joint NATO/Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council seminar on “Avoiding military involvement in trafficking in human beings: best practices from the field” is a step forward in the implementation of the policy. It provided an opportunity for countries to discuss how best to educate military and civilian personnel working in operations to recognise human trafficking and inform them of the criminal consequences of involvement in human trafficking. Specifically, countries exchanged information on current practices regarding training and codes of conduct and their effectiveness, based on concrete experiences from the field. The Finnish Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defence organized the seminar with experts from NATO and partner countries, international and non-governmental organizations taking part. The Alliance was represented by Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs Ambassador Bob Simmons.