The next plenary meeting of the Milli Mejlis was held on April 03. Vilayat Eyvazov, the National Coordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, deputy minister of internal affairs, the police lieutenant-general has delivered a speech with wide and detailed report in the meeting.

We present you the text of that report.

Dear Mister Chairman!
Dear deputies!

As one of the transnational threats of modern world, social riskiness of the human trafficking, its being one of most profitable types of criminal business, in terms of serious violation of rights and freedoms of the personality, the counter measures in this field were continued in succession in 2014.
According to the last year report of the United Nations Organization, every year over 20 million persons turn to the victim of human trafficking, one third of them being children. 53 percent of them undergoes to sexual exploitation, 40 percent of them to forced labor, 7 percent of them undergoes to body transplantation and trafficking for other purposes.
At the same time, conduct of investigation of more than 25 thousand criminal cases connected with human trafficking, imprisonment of about 15 thousand persons, reinstatement of rights of 133 thousand victims in last three years – is noted as important measures taken in the direction of prevention of human trafficking in the world.

Azerbaijan declaring provision of rights and freedoms of each person as one of the main directions of the state policy – by directing to international agreements that it is the party of, set forth its persistent position in improvement of legislation and its application practice in combating trafficking in human beings, provision of efficient mutual activities of related state authorities, organization of enlightenment measures and cooperation with civil society institutions in a high level in 2014.
As the obvious confirmation of it, the third National Action Plan for 2014-2018 was adopted by the Order of the Head of State. The execution of New Action Plan involved additionally the Financial Monitoring Service attached to the Central Bank, State Civil Aviation Administration, State Marine Administration, “Azerbaijan TV and Radio Broadcasts” Closed Joint Stock Company, Press Council, local executive power authorities, total 27 state organizations.
All the actions of this conceptual document, where the national legislation, requirements of international conventions, the opinions and suggestions of related ministries, committees and services, as well as recommendations of non-governmental organizations were reflected, covering 2014 were fulfilled.


First of all, I should note that within the framework of measures for adaptation of related legislative acts to the international agreements, the law on “combating trafficking in human beings” was added the norm regulating the mechanisms for deportation of the foreigners being the victims of those crimes and stateless persons beyond the republic.
The recommendations of the Experts Group of European Council for combating trafficking in human beings (GRETA) on execution of obligations arising out from relevant Convention as well as on the issues of criminal prosecution, assistance to victims, indemnification and rehabilitation reflected in the report submitted to the government were also executed in planned manner.
In respect thereof, the Cabinet of Ministers has made changes to the “Regulations on repatriation of the victims of human trafficking”.
Also the “Program for social rehabilitation and socialization of the children being the victims of human trafficking”, the “guaranteed volume of social service provided to the persons (families) being under difficult life conditions on account of the state budget” was approved.
In order to strengthen the protection of the children from the threat of human trafficking – the package of suggestions on making changes to the Labor and Family Codes, the laws on “Social Benefits”, on “Child Rights”, on “the Telecommunication”, “Mass Media” was prepared and submitted accordingly.

One of the outstanding duties was publicity of social sections included in the vulnerable group on the essence and dangerous consequences of human trafficking problem, the administrative and legal procedures of protection from those crimes. The Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Education, the Coalition of Non-Governmental Organizations for combating trafficking in human beings, The Ombudsman Office have taken publicity measures in 85 higher and secondary vocational educational institutions of the Republic in this direction. As well as, round tables, seminars, competitions and social hearings were organized in the subject of trafficking in human beings, child labor, domestic violence and other issues in all regions of the country.
Within the framework of a range of measures dedicated to 10th anniversary of combating trafficking in human beings, the sport races, drawing and short film competitions, theatre performances, meetings by the participation of the representatives of civil society were held among the youth and teenagers.

In order to increase professionalism in the field of identification of the victims of trafficking in human beings and forced labor and provision of assistance to them – the associates of the special police authority have taken part in about 40 workshops, conferences and trainings by the support of International Migration Organization, European Union, the police authorities of the Republic of Turkey, the US Embassy in Azerbaijan, the Ombudsman Office.
The representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Representative Office of International Organization in Azerbaijan have conducted trainings and workshops for the representatives of non-governmental organizations and mass media, the associates of embassies and consulates offices of foreign states in our country, the labor inspectors, the members of the trade unions in Mingachevir, Guba, Lankaran, Tartar city and regions in January – May of 2014.

The associates of the State Migration were taught the international law norms regulating prevention of trafficking in human beings and illegal employment, national legislative acts and the tactical grounds of detection of such type of unlawful actions based on special program.

The training was organized for newly employed associates of the customs authorities in the subject of “prevention of trafficking in human beings”. The reasonable trainings were conducted and visual aids were distributed to the employees of tourism companies and hotels by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in the format of “the Program for social rehabilitation and socialization of the children being the victims of human trafficking” by the organization of the State Committee for Family, Woman and Child Problems.
The works done and the obtained results were illustrated in various TV channels and press authorities, and placed in the websites of electronic information agencies and special police authority.


Dear deputies!

In terms of being important significance in combating trafficking in human beings – study of above stated problem with related authorities of foreign countries, as well as countries of destination and source and relevant international organizations, collection of information, efficient exchange of experience, in general the issues of strengthening of cooperation were kept in the center of attention.
The agreement was signed with the state of Qatar on cooperation for security issues in 2014 and relevant measures were taken for strengthening contractual-legal basis of combating trafficking in human beings with Morocco and United Arabian Emirates.
The perspectives of mutual cooperation were regularly discussed with the officials of the experts of the UNO, OSCE, the law enforcement authorities of the United States of America as well as the representatives of the embassies of this country and Great Britain in Azerbaijan.

The project titled “support for efficient implementation of mechanisms of for prevention of trafficking in human beings in Azerbaijan” developed by the Project Coordinator of the OSCE in Baku was positively evaluated by the government and the execution of it was commenced in the second half of 2014. Within the framework of the project, the special representative of the OSCE for combating trafficking in human beings has been to Azerbaijan in March of the current year.
The associates of special police authority, as well as other state organizations were attracted to educational courses as the trainee, as well as the exchange of experience in the United States of America, France, Austria, Poland, Lithuania, Hungary, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Russia, Belarus and Ukraine in the format of projects implemented by international organizations.
Prevention of forced labor arising out from social and economic reasons, identification of the victims of it has been one of main duties.

by the measures taken within the framework of supervision on labor migration in construction sites and production entities in separate regions of the Republic and capital by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population and the State Migration Service, 4 forced labor crimes, 164 administrative offences were detected, 2543 foreigners engaged in illegal labor activities were deported.
Furthermore, great importance was given to measures of prevention of turning of children being out of parent protection turning to victims of human trafficking, their turning to the object of abuse.
 
During the raids conducted by the territorial police authorities, 502 underage children undergone to street life, as well as begging in the streets and involved in illegal service were indentified and it was confirmed by the conducted inspections that those children were the victims of human trafficking and forced labor.
But, the measures determined by the law were taken about 220 parents not fulfilling duties connected with growing up and education of the children and attracting them to unlawful actions.

At the same time, the monitoring of living conditions of 272 children adopted, given to patronage and protection was conducted together with the representatives of the Ministry of Education and local executive power authorities, mass media and non-governmental organizations, targeted social assistance and other benefits were provided to the families in need.
Also, 47 underage children living in state child institutions were supplied with ID cards.
In particular, it should be noted that the Heydar Aliyev Foundation had great labor and important contributions in protection of potential victims from trafficking in human beings. The foundation has constructed a building consisting of 25 apartments for 50 persons for orphan girls who reached the mature age, as well as a building consisting of 120 apartments for the graduates of child houses who were deprived of parent protection and without living space.
In order to analyze all kind of crimes committed against the children and other law violations, as well as child trafficking, their exploitation, street labor and begging and to evaluate the works done in this field – modern database was created and new statistic report forms were prepared taking into account the recommendations of the institutions for protection of human rights of the UNO and European Council.

By the operative-preventive measures taken last year, 97 facts of human trafficking, 4 facts of forced labor and as well as falsification of ID cards with the purpose of human trafficking were detected, it is 21 % more in comparison with  2013.
For these actions, 26 persons (18 women, 8 men) were attracted to the criminal responsibility, 9 organized groups and bands were neutralized.
37 of the 54 victims identified (51 women, 3 men) were taken to the Republic of Turkey, 8 of the to the Russian Federation, 6 of them to the United Arabian Emirates, 3 foreigners underwent to exploitation within the country (2 citizens of Russian Federation, 1 citizen of People Republic of China). While placing 38 of the victims to the shelter, each of them was provided necessary assistance, their security was ensured.
In general, 54 victims were given lump sum benefits, 40 of them was provided material assistance by the Assistance Fund, 24 of them was provided with job, 30 of them was sent to vocational courses.
By the implemented preventive measures, 34 victims were returned to the families, 36 victims were given to the protection of non-governmental organizations.

The Center for Assistance to the victims of trafficking in human beings attached to the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population has provided legal and psychological assistance to 28 victims, as well as medical service to 43 victims in special institutions of the Ministry of Health. 16 underage children being under protection of the victims placed in the shelter were attracted to out-of-school educational program.
More than 13 thousand applications received by the “Hot Line” on the problems and issues of human trafficking, maintenance of prostitution houses, making arrangement for employment and education in foreign countries, and the problems arising out from marriage with foreigners were reviewed and measures were taken about each of them in accordance with the legislation.  At the same time, the proposals broadcasted in mass media and social networks in respect to employment in foreign states were investigated.
In order to identify the cases of legalization of money funds and other property obtained through trafficking in human beings, the Financial Monitoring Service attached to the Central Bank has conducted necessary investigations about the persons accused in relevant crimes, the information about the suspicious financial operations was submitted to the General Prosecutor’s Office.

Dear Mister Chairman!
Dear deputies!

Azerbaijan has been contributing to combating trafficking in human beings in international level for over 10 years. This work was approached with sensitivity in terms of national interests, the duties set forth were fulfilled systematically.
By the investigation actions and operative investigation measures conducted in that period, 681 facts of human trafficking and forced labor were detected.
For those crimes, 408 persons were attracted to criminal responsibility, being 85 % of them women (347) and 15 % of them (61) men, as well as 167 criminal groups and organized bands were neutralized. The analyses show that the relevant crimes were committed through deception, by abusing influence possibilities and helpless condition of the person.
90 % of identified 583 victims underwent to sexual exploitation, 10 % of them to forced labor. 3.6 % of them (21) were children, 96.3 % of them (562) were the persons reaching the mature age.

Azerbaijan being the country of origin and in some cases the country of destination in terms of human trafficking and forced labor facts – 94 % of the victims were taken to foreign states, 6 % of them underwent to exploitation within the country.
Publicity of the public on the threats arising out from human trafficking being one of the priority duties, the possibilities of the representatives of civil society and mass media were widely used and more than 500 cultural-mass events, as well as many training and workshops were conducted in all cities and regions of the republic.

We present you for information that the status of execution of the National Action Plan for 2009-2013 on combating trafficking in human beings was inspected under the supervision of the President and was highly appreciated.
 
The obtained results were positively evaluated in the last year reports of a number of international organizations, as well as the report of the party Committee of the European Council Convention on Azerbaijan.
So that, the works done in the field of measures of improvement of normative legal base, the mechanism of protection of victims and publicity, and the activities of the Working Group attached to the National Coordinator and special police authority were considered estimable. Today, the experience of Azerbaijan in the relevant field is in the center of attention of the related organizations of many states.

Along with all of this, efficient execution of measures provided for in the National Action Plan, as well as further intensification of activities in combating trafficking in human beings, expedient organization of works for prophylactics of those crimes, protection of the victims, agitation and publicity will be continued with maximum efforts in accordance with the laws of Azerbaijan Republic, the decrees and orders of the head of state, the obligations of our country in  the current year.
At the end of my speech I express deep gratitude to the respected deputies and the representatives of the civil society and national media for close assistance in implementation of state policy in this important field in national and international level, and for your cooperation relationships being of great benefit for our common work.

Thanks for your attention!