Implementing organizations:
- ASTRA – Anti-trafficking action, Lead applicant, Serbia
- Association of action against violence and trafficking in human beings – Open Gate/La Strada, Partner, North Macedonia
- Vatra Psycho-Social Center, Partner, Albania
Summary of the project
Three CSOs from Serbia, Albania and North Macedonia are gathering in an extensive capacity building and learning-by-doing process tackling very complex, intertwined topics: trafficking in human beings (THB) in individual and in organized crime form. These CSOs will conduct researches, collect credible data and info, process and analyse findings, expanding and exchanging their knowledge, contributing to improving the response on the national and regional level. The finding and recommendations from the process will feed into national and EU integration processes. The project efforts are aiming for the improvement of the prosecution, judiciary and protection of the victims of THB, on national and regional level.
Project goals
Overall goal (impact) of the project is to: contribute to strengthening democracies, rule of law and EU integration process in project countries by empowering civil society organizations and CSO networks to be stronger and more competent, in upholding respective states accountability to suppress trafficking in human beings and organized crime, contributing to creating safer and inclusive societies for trafficking victims, and society in whole.
Specific objectives (outcomes) of the project are:
(1) Stronger, competent CSOs in the three countries, skilled in conducting complex research and analysis;
(2) Strengthened regional partnerships between CSOs from the project partners themselves, with the state authorities and with respective EU counterparts;
(3) Increased effectiveness in contributing to change, through joint contribution to security and stability in project countries.
Target groups and beneficiaries
Victims of THB and similar crimes (in individual and in form of organized crime) in trials in SRB, ALB and MKD, media, investigative journalist, persons in risk of THB, citizens. Also, CSOs working with vulnerable groups and individuals, CSOs providing free legal aid to the victims of the THB.
Main activities
- Staff/legal experts from 3 partner CSOs will gather and participate in 2 capacity building workshops, to learn about/create methodologies to analyze court verdicts;
- One informal network of lawyers will be formed, with at least 9 members from 3 countries, after which they implemented methodologies by conducting 6 court verdicts analysis (two per country).
- Staff/legal experts will conduct analysis and produce 6 sets of Summaries and Recommendations (2 per country), on court proceedings for trafficking in human beings in individual and in form of organized crime.
- 6 case studies (2 per country) will be mapped and developed to illustrate the specific challenges in court proceedings for trafficking in human beings and THB in form of organized crime in each partners’ country.
- 3 National discussion forums (1 per country) will be organized, to elaborate on the findings and case studies from analysis, gathering at least 60 targeted representatives (prosecution, judicial, social protection, law enforcement, CSOs, academia).
- After the process of exchange and mutual learning, 1 Joint Position Paper will be produced on the fight against THB and court practices in 3 countries;
- Project partners will use the key findings and recommendations to produce at least 6 written thematic inputs (2 per partner) submitted by the partners to relevant national/international institutions (EU Delegation, TIP report, Council of Europe GRETA, etc.);
- Designing and conducting an outreach/dissemination process (1 per country) aiming to reach at least 1000 state/national stakeholders and 50 000 general public.
