On 30 September 2024, the Law and Internet Foundation attended a crucial meeting organised by the Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA). The meeting was part of GRETA's fourth evaluation of Bulgaria's implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings.
The evaluation focuses on vulnerabilities to human trafficking and measures taken by State Parties to prevent human trafficking, detect and support vulnerable victims, and punish offenders. This round also emphasises the impact of information and communication technology on human trafficking, highlighting how it changes the way offenders operate and exacerbates existing vulnerabilities.
During the meeting, GRETA's delegation engaged with various civil society organisations to gather insights and discuss the practical implementation of adopted measures, as well as the continuous challenges related to the protection of vulnerable victims of trafficking. Factors like age, gender, migration status, and substance abuse, among others, were identified as key vulnerabilities to human trafficking. The discussions were aimed at complementing the information provided in the Bulgarian authorities' reply to GRETA's fourth round questionnaire.
The Law and Internet Foundation is committed to supporting efforts to combat human trafficking and was honoured to contribute to this important evaluation process.
We look forward to continuing our collaboration with GRETA and other stakeholders to enhance the protection of vulnerable individuals and ensure justice for victims of human trafficking.
For more information on GRETA's activities and the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, please visit the official GRETA website: http://www.coe.int/en/web/anti-human-trafficking/greta
The Law and Internet Foundation is one of the key partners in DISRUPT Project, which is designed to respond to one of the main priorities of the EU Policy Cycle (2022+) and aims to improve investigations, prosecutions and the judicial response based on digital evidence in the area of trafficking of children.
This month, the DISRUPT team will kick off their first EU capacity-building event in Brussels, focusing on leveraging digital evidence to combat child trafficking on October 16-17. Following this the Law and Internet Foundation will conduct national training sessions to further address this pressing issue.