IOM' s
Director General Brunson McKinley took part in a ceremony in Kiev on 15
February 2001 to launch an EU funded programme designed to combat
trafficking in women from Ukraine. This new programme takes counter
trafficking measures in Ukraine to a new and more comprehensive level,
by reinforcing prevention activities, promoting further criminalisation
of trafficking, and strengthening the national capacity to provide
protection and reintegration assistance to returning victims of
trafficking.
Speaking at the launch alongside Vice Prime Minister
Zhulynsky, Mrs Patsy Sorensen, Member of the European Parliament, and Mr
Peterson, Ambassador of Sweden, currently holding the Presidency of the
EU, the McKinley said:
"This project, building on previous work, will
substantially contribute to the efforts of the Government to bring to
bear a sustained response to this most pressing of issues. The fact that
the project will be implemented in partnership with relevant Government
authorities, the NGO La Strada and OSCE is evidence of IOM's commitment
to cooperate with the international community to facilitate partnerships
and build the capacity of governmental institutions and civil society to
more effectively address this serious problem."
IOM has been involved in counter trafficking
activities in Ukraine since 1998, when the first information campaign
was launched with US funding. Subsequently IOM, together with OSCE/ODIHR
and the Office of the Ombudsman of Ukraine, has been working on the
establishment of the National Council to Combat Trafficking - a body
focusing on awareness raising, information collection and exchange,
legislative review and training.