USA to finance new project meant to strengthen national capacities in fighting trafficking of human beings

Chisinau, 29 May /MOLDPRES/ - The launch of a project, Strengthening government’s response to the phenomenon of Trafficking of Human Beings (THB) and improvement of protection of victims of the trafficking and its witnesses in Moldova, represents one more important step in the process of combating this scourge in Moldova. Foreign Affairs and European Integration minister, head of the national committee on fighting the Trafficking of Human Beings Tudor Ulianovschi has made statements to this effect at an event on the project’s launch, the Foreign Affairs and European Integration Ministry’s press service has reported.   
According to Minister Tudor Ulianovschi, by this project, due to be implemented in 2018-2020, decision-makers will manage to consolidate the professional capacities of specialists from law-enforcement bodies to combat THB, enhance the capacities of the actors in charge of preventing THB, of assistance and rehabilitation of victims, etc. “Moreover, we hope that, thanks to efforts made by the government on the last period, as well as to the implementation of this Project, Moldova will advance to a new level in the Report of the USA’s Department of State on the situation in terms of the trafficking of human beings, we will manage to fulfill all 31 goals in terms carrying out the priority actions in the field of preventing and fighting the trafficking of human beings,” Minister Ulianovschi said.    

A charge d’affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Moldova, Julie Stufft, has said that, to implement the concerned project, the United States would earmark 400,000 dollars. “We are glad that Moldova has taken the initiative in the process of fighting the trafficking of human beings and became regional leader in the process of combating this scourge. We are confident that, after the implementation of the project, Moldova will become an example for the states of the region in fighting the trafficking of human beings,” the American diplomat noted.    

Interior Minister Alexandru Jizdan, Prosecutor General Eduard Harunjen, Head of the Mission of the International Organization for Migration in Moldova Antonio Polosa, as well as the head of the international centre LaStrada Moldova, Ana Revenco, highlighted the importance of the project to combat the trafficking of human beings.       

According to provisions of the draft, a string of trainings will be organized for over 850 representatives of the police, prosecutor’s office, public lawyers, as well as 360 civil servants from other state institutions during the project’s implementation. Another goal of the project is to persuade the private sector to cooperate with the state’s authorities.