05.05.2021

On May 4-5, 2021, an online conference was convened via the Microsoft online platform, funded by the TNV LIBERI project and organized under the German Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe Convention on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) and the Council of Europe Group of Experts. This international conference, titled "Ending Human Trafficking among Children and Youth," aimed to facilitate the sharing of experiences and discussions on various facets of preventing and combating trafficking in children and youth. The conference focused on adopting a comprehensive, human rights-based approach and fostering international partnerships.

Lieutenant-Colonel Elshad Mammadli, Chief Operations Commissioner for Special Important Cases in the Information Provision and Analytical Work Division of the Main Department on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, participated in the online event.

The 2018-2021 THB LIBERI project, financed by the European Union's Internal Security Fund (ISF) and implemented by the German Federal Criminal Police, seven German state federal police offices, and the Austrian Federal Criminal Police, played a prominent role. Discussions during the conference covered three primary topics: "Exploitation of children and young people through the Internet," "Exploitation of children and young people by their families," and "Empowerment of children and young people."

Participants included Federal Criminal Police Departments from Austria and Germany, State Criminal Police Departments from Berlin and Hamburg, as well as the headquarters of police departments in Frankfurt/M, Krefeld, Leipzig, Hanover, and Augsburg. Representatives from Germany attended from the Federal Ministry for Family, Senior Citizens, Women, and Youth; Federal Ministry of the Interior; Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs; and Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection. Additionally, experts from the 47 participating states of the Convention, GRETA members, representatives of other Council of Europe bodies such as the Lanzarote Committee, the Committee on the Cybercrime Convention, and the Committee of Experts on Roma and Travelers were present. The conference also included participation from the EU Anti-Trafficking Coordinator, Heads of EMRAS THB Project, representatives from Eurojust (European Judicial Network), EUROPOL, and civil society organizations.