On June 22–23, Odesa State University of Internal Affairs hosted a two-day seminar on combating human trafficking and the rule of law, attended by trainers and advisors from the European Union Advisory Mission on Civilian Security Sector Reform in Ukraine, as well as university staff, for representatives of the justice system.
The speakers at the event from the EUAM on reforming Ukraine’s civil security sector were Samuli Laulumaa, Senior Advisor on Prosecutorial Affairs; Maans Enquist, Senior Advisor on Human Trafficking Investigations; Andrii Sokora, an officer in the Criminal Investigations Division; and Daisy Verwer, Senior Advisor on Criminal Investigations and Financial Crime Analysis.
Also participating in the seminar were Olena Pohrebniak - Head of the Main Directorate of the State Migration Service of Ukraine in the Odesa Region and leader of the «Faith, Hope, Love» Civic Movement Tetiana Semykop and representatives of the Odesa Regional Department of Internal Affairs: Hanna Sobko, Andrii Benitskyi, Dmytro Lisnichenko, Ruslan Melykov, Viktoriia Dubiniak, and Hanna Teteriatnyk, as well as JustGroup consultant Viktoriia Rohalska.
During the event, participants examined international legal and national mechanisms for combating human trafficking, contemporary forms of this crime and their key indicators, the specifics of international cooperation among law enforcement agencies, as well as the potential for using OSINT tools in the investigation of related criminal offenses. Special attention was given to the protection of victims, the procedure for granting victim-of-trafficking status, and the practical aspects of documenting such crimes.
In addition, emphasis was placed on the specifics of interviewing (procedural interviews) with children and the development of a national protocol for conducting such interviews, which is currently being developed by the Office of the Prosecutor General and the JustGroup team with the support of the OSCE.
The seminar served as a platform for professional exchange of experiences, discussion of current challenges in the fight against human trafficking, and the improvement of participants’ practical skills in accordance with European standards for law enforcement.
Unit of Communication of the OSUIA