Kyiv, Ukraine - 17 April 2018 - Under the framework of the Global Action against Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants ( GLO.ACT) and in collaboration with the National School of Judges, UNODC organized a two-day workshop from 12 to 13 April 2018 to develop a teaching curriculum on specifics of cases related to trafficking in persons (TIP).
To date, the available curriculum does not have a strong focus on TIP. The hope is that this new curriculum will provide the necessary theoretical background whilst also making available practical exercises to future judges. This should make a significant difference to the work of the future judges, since one of the reasons why court rulings often appear lenient is because judges do not have adequate training on how to interpret Article 149 of Ukraine's criminal code. In many TIP cases, due to a lack of training on TIP, judges do not fully appreciate the severity of the crime or the devastating impact it has on its victims.
During the workshop, acting judges from all over Ukraine, as well as former judges with extensive expertise in cases related to TIP and international partners including IOM worked on the development of the training curriculum for future judges. Discussion about the content to include in the curriculum covered the following subjects:
During the meeting, UNODC GLO.ACT National Project Officer Mr. Rostyslav Gavrylov said, "It is a great honor for us to be able to work with the National School of Judges in Ukraine and support the work on the development of the training course, which will become integral to the overall school curriculum. We believe that with our contribution we will be able to develop a course that will enable judges from all over the country to better fight against the awful crime of human trafficking." Meanwhile, Oksana Gorbunova from IOM said, "We are grateful to our colleagues from UNODC who have initiated this important work and developed an important partnership with the National School of Judges to develop an up-to-date training course on TIP."
The next workshop meeting is scheduled to take place 5 to 6 June 2018 in Kyiv. The aim of the meeting will be to review the course materials and cases added to the practical exercises. It is expected that the upgraded curriculum will be available in the autumn of 2018 and that a training-of-trainers event will utilize the curriculum nationwide.
The Global Action to Prevent and Address Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants (GLO.ACT) is a four-year (2015-2019), €11 million joint initiative by the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The project is being implemented in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). GLO.ACT aims to provide assistance to governmental authorities and civil society organizations across 13 strategically selected countries: Belarus, Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Kyrgyz Republic, Lao PDR, Mali, Morocco, Nepal, Niger, Pakistan, South Africa, Ukraine. It supports the development of more effective responses to trafficking and smuggling, including providing assistance to victims of trafficking and vulnerable migrants through the strengthening of identification, referral, and direct support mechanisms.
For more information, please contact:
Rostyslav Gavrylov, National Project Coordinator, UNODC
rostyslav.gavrylov@un.org
www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/glo-act/
glo.act@un.org
Twitter: @glo_act