Committee Chairman Meho Omerovic welcomed the Kazakh delegation stressing that the meeting is very useful for the exchange of experiences relating to the establishment and implementation of governmental mechanisms for the treatment of human trafficking victims. The Committee Chairman said that the Committee is especially dedicated to the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on the protection of women against violence. Violence against women and children is a problem that plagues Serbia, said Meho Omerovic. According to records, 43 women reported domestic violence in 2014. He stressed that it is also the Committee’s duty to protect national minorities whose rights are additionally regulated by the Law on National Councils of National Minorities.
As regards human trafficking, He said that the most important international acts in the field are the UN Convention against Transnational Organised Crime and the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings.
The Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings came into force on 1 August 2009. The fact that the Convention recognizes the human rights aspect of the protection of human trafficking victims is particularly important, as is the fact that it clearly defines trafficking in human beings as a violation of human rights and human dignity and integrity.
He said that by assuming the international obligations and principles these international instruments are based on, Serbia has undertaken many activities to intensify the fight against human trafficking. This was noted in the first report of Council of Europe's Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) on the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. He said that Serbia is actually a country of origin of human trafficking victims, rarely the destination or transit country.
Meho Omerovic said that the amendments to the 2006 Criminal Code separated the crime of human trafficking from the crime of illegal crossing of an international border and people smuggling, which has resulted in increased penalties for human trafficking and an expansion of the list of types of exploitation, slavery and transportation of enslaved people.
The following laws are also important for the fight against human trafficking: Law on Social Welfare, Law on Foreigners, Law on Health Care, Law on the Police and the Law on Asylum.
The Committee Chairman said that the Government had set up a Council for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings and a Republic Team for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, and appointed a National Coordinator for the fight against trafficking in human beings and set up a Centre for Human Trafficking Victims Protection.
The Kazakh officials and the delegation of the Committee on Human and Minority Rights and Gender Equality exchanged experiences on the implementation of criminal law and concluded that both countries share the same problem – inadequate implementation of the laws in practice.