4th Conference of Parties to the UN Convention on Transnational Organised Crime, Vienna, 8-17 October 2008

4th Conference of Parties to the UN Convention on Transnational Organised Crime, Vienna, 8-17 October 2008

Between 8 and 17 October, the States Parties to the Convention on Transnational Organised Crime and its Protocols (including the Protocol on Trafficking in Persons) met in Vienna for the 4th Conference of Parties. The Conference is intended to help governments improve their capacity to stop organised crime and to monitor their implementation. On the 13th October, a full day was given to sharing information about trafficking in persons, especially protection of victims and witnesses. Governments also considered whether to adopt a more formal mechanism for monitoring implementation, and it was decided that a group of ‘experts’ would discuss this in 2009 and present their recommendations to the next Conference in 2010. The three GAATW secretariat staff who attended the Conference were joined by four members: Vichuta Ly from LSCW, Cambodia, Nelia Sancho from the Buhay Foundation in the Philippines, Andreza Santoja from Sodirietos in Brazil, and Marieke van Doorninck from La Strada International (LSI) n the Netherlands. GAATW co-organised a side event on 13th October on the possible review mechanism, together with Anti-Slavery International and LSI. [Click here to read the joint statement].We also distributed Collateral Damage and made an intervention to the Conference sharing the findings of the Report.

Source: GAATW e- bulletin, Oct. 2008 issue.