Prevention of Trafficking in Persons

Project completed September 2006

USAID raised awareness and educated the public, media, law enforcement officials and policy makers about the problems related to trafficking in persons.

USAID's two-year program strengthened efforts to combat trafficking by raising awareness at the local, national and regional levels.   It also maximized effective collaboration between local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the Government.

Raising Awareness in Local Communities about the Risks of Trafficking:  Through a small grants program, this project raised public understanding of the risks of trafficking and helped make the crime more identifiable and subject to law enforcement.  It provided the public with information on where to turn when they detect cases of trafficking.

Increasing Knowledge of Professionals in Anti-Trafficking: Under the sponsorship of USAID and the National Committee for the Suppression of Trafficking in Persons, several inter-agency workshops were organized incorporating relevant ministries (Interior, Justice, Foreign Affairs, Health, Education, Labor and Social Welfare, Tourism), the Office of Human Rights, NGOs and the bar, to launch development of concrete implementation strategies for the National Action Plan.  To reduce incentives for trafficking through Croatia, cooperation among border and local government officials, as well as NGOs, especially along Croatia's borders with Bosnia and Herzegovina were intensified.

Results

NGO media campaigns to promote anti-trafficking hotlines led to 20 police investigations and prosecutions of at least two traffickers.
Almost 2,000 youth and adults gained awareness about the risks of trafficking; 162 social workers were trained.

Seven NGOs disseminated knowledge about TIP prevention and education to vulnerable groups such as high school students.  Training reached more than a quarter of the population in Vukovar, Karlovac, Imotski, Split and Slavonski Brod.

Emergency doctors and nurses from border communities were trained to assist victims of trafficking. Sixteen journalists learned how to report on trafficking while protecting victims.

Download document: TIP (PDF 217 KB)

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