Kyiv, Ukraine - 2 July 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 its second two-day workshop from 5 to 6 June 2018 to develop a teaching curriculum on the 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.
Discussions covered the following subjects:
During the meeting, Ms. Valentyna Kuzmenko, Vice President of the National School of Judges and a Supreme Court judge said, "Thanks to GLO.ACT, we had the second meeting on developing this specialised material. There are many aspects in TIP cases that demand specific knowledge, and this curriculum will be very helpful. Each participant is a great professional with vast experience. All the items that we discussed during the technical working group are essential, especially as Ukrainian legislation is changing and the number of TIP cases is increasing. We hope that with the assistance of UNODC we shall considerably improve the work of judges presiding over TIP cases."
The next workshop meeting is scheduled to take place 2-3 July 2018. The aim of the meeting will be to finalize the modules on international practices and penalties. 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:
Olga Ilchenko, National Project Assistant, UNODC
olga.ilchenko@un.org
www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/glo-act/
glo.act@un.org
Twitter: @glo_act