IOM Minsk Organizes Multi-Disciplinary Group Meetings in the Regions
Regular meetings of Multidisciplinary Groups Responsible for Identification, Referral and Assistance to Victims of Trafficking took place in all oblast cities of the Republic of Belarus during the period from March 1 to April 19, 2016
The main task of the Multidisciplinary groups (MDGs) is to strengthen cooperation between relevant state organizations, public organizations and IOM in the field of identification of victims of trafficking, their referral to competent structures and rendering assistance; along with strengthening the National Referral Mechanism, exchange of experience, information and statistics sharing in the field of combating trafficking in human beings and its prevention.
The agenda of the MDGs included the following main topics and questions: situation in the field of CT in the regions of Belarus, latest trends and challenges; latest amendments in CT Legislation, operation of MDGs within the framework of Provision on Identification; use of the Standard Operating Procedures on identification of VoTs and their referral for assistance in the work of MDGs for more effective application of CT Legislation; labour migration in the region; potential of migration for local development. Besides, the agenda of MDG meetings included the questions of irregular migration and new trends in this regards, types of assistance rendered to VoTs within the framework of MDG operation, concrete cases and principles of cooperation of MDGs representatives; initiation of identification and formulation of priorities in the field of CT for the 2016 year.
The representatives of oblast departments of internal affairs and citizenship and migration, of health, education, of committees on labor, employment and social protection, investigation committees, oblast courts and prosecutors` offices, border groups, bar associations, International organization for migration, as well as non-governmental organizations, engaged in CT activities, took part in the regional multidisciplinary meetings.
During the meeting of multidisciplinary group the perspectives of work for 2016 were identified, with focus on strengthening prevention activities, more active involvement of state structures into rendering assistance to VoTs, more active exchange of relevant information and experience; improvement of work with teachers, social pedagogues, and psychologists, for the purpose of preventing children sexual abuse, active involvement of youth into volunteer groups; use of the resources of social territorial crises centers for assisting VoTs, involvement of mass media representatives into the process of THB prevention in the regions of Belarus; more active involvement of NGOs into the social sub-contraction system; analysis of possibility to develop internal normative acts for various CT stakeholders to effectively implement the Resolution of the Council of Ministers No 485.
