The Council of Europe reports on a conference on protecting children from trafficking and exploitation in the Western Balkans, which took place online from 22 to 23 June, 2021. The conference was organised in the framework of the joint European Union–Council of Europe programme, “Horizontal Facility II” for the Western Balkans and Turkey (2019–2022), and gathered over 130 participants.
Topics discussed included: “trends and new challenges in child trafficking, identifying positive initiatives, capacity building to induce improvements, and co-ordination and co-operation.”
An increase in child trafficking in the Western Balkans, a growing number of unaccompanied or separated children, and increased grooming and exploitation of children online have all been noted and discussed.
Highlighted points during the conference include:
- The Need for strengthening joint efforts and multi-agency collaboration
- “Integrating anti-trafficking measures into the general child protection system, bringing together social, health and education services”
- The Western Balkans “facing major security and humanitarian challenges caused by mass and mixed migration flows, within which child trafficking is widely present”
- Putting a stop to child trafficking being one of the priorities of the European Commission, with a new strategy against trafficking in human beings being adopted
- Joint efforts of the EU and the Council of Europe in BiH via numerous projects and funding of shelters for over 500 unaccompanied minors, and education for over 4000 migrant children
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