On the occasion of EU Anti-Trafficking Day, the European Commission held a panel on 18 October at the EU Programme Support Office (EUPSO) in Nicosia.  The aim of this year’s EU Anti-Trafficking Day event was to increase awareness on the rights of human trafficking victims and to highlight best practices in victim support services.

After the opening speeches by Mr. Kjartan Bjornsson and Ms. Evin Unutmaz, the EU policy on the rights of trafficking victims and implementations in EU Member States, the US Department of State 2018 Trafficking in Persons report findings and local implementations, opportunities and recommendations on preventing trafficking of human beings were presented by Mr. Klaus Vanhoutte, Ms. Emine Uzun and Mr. Jacob A. Glenn.

The EU Anti-Trafficking Day was established by the European Commission in 2007 and is marked on 18 October of every year. The main purpose has been to raise awareness on trafficking in human beings and increase the exchange of information, knowledge and best practices amongst the different actors working in this field. EU Anti trafficking Day serves as an occasion to bolster Europe-wide commitment for ending trafficking in human beings, to raise awareness, exchange know-how and best practices, and take stock of what has been achieved.  Trafficking in human beings is a grave human rights violation and it is prohibited by the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. 

The European Commission this year launched a EUR 1,000,000 call for proposals in the Turkish Cypriot community aiming to prevent and address trafficking in human beings in the northern part of Cyprus. The main objectives of the Call for Proposals are to prevent human trafficking and raise awareness, to improve victims' access to rights and to increase knowledge of and effective and coordinated response to all forms of trafficking in human beings.