The National Commission for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings adopted a draft National Programme for 2021
On the 15th of December 2020, the last meeting of the year of the NCCTHB was held. The meeting was opened by Prof. Nikolay Prodanov, Deputy Minister of Justice and Vice-Chairman of the NCCTHB.
The meeting was attended by representatives of ministries and state institutions - members of the National Commission, the Secretary of the NCCTHB, and experts from its administration, as well as a representative of the NGO "Bulgarian Fund of Women", as an observer.
Ms. Dobriana Petkova, Acting Secretary of the NCCTHB, presented the draft National Programme for Counteraction and Protection of Victims for 2021, which was unanimously adopted at the meeting. The program is prepared manually, in implementation of the National Strategy for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings 2017 - 2021, and proposes operational measures, depending on the current trends in human trafficking.
The program consists of 7 sections, and the proposed 50 activities for 2021 will be implemented in strategic cooperation between the Commission's Administration, institutions, NGOs, and international organizations, the ten local anti-trafficking commissions of municipalities, representatives of foreign diplomatic missions in Bulgaria. In the implementation of the activities of the Commission, its Administration will try to build again on the experience by involving more partners in the fight against human trafficking, such as representatives of the private sector, and other agencies, chambers, and institutions relevant to the topic.
The main highlights of the draft program are the upgrading of the capacity of the structures under the VAW at the national and local levels, including through the preparation of an evaluation of the implementation of the National Strategy for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings 2017 - 2021, increasing the effectiveness and scope of activities aimed at prevention by conducting a joint campaign with DG BOP under a Europol program, as well as a continuation of a campaign with a focus on prevention of trafficking of pregnant women to sell their newborn children, the realization of numerous events aimed at upgrading the capacity of specialists (investigators, magistrates, diplomats, teachers, lawyers, social workers, health management specialists, media representatives, students, etc.) the main element of the Program every year is the work towards the protection and reintegration of the victims of the crime or the alleged victims, with a focus on the work of specialized services to the Commission, but not only, given the special role of the NCCTHB administration as coordinator of the National Mechanism for referral and support of victims of trafficking in Bulgaria. In view of its functions and as an equivalent mechanism of the National Rapporteur on the issues of human trafficking, NCCTHB continues to upgrade its work in the line of data collection, analysis and reporting in relation to the crime.