Friday 20 December 2002

Press Briefing Notes
Friday 20 December 2002
Spokesperson: Christopher Lom

1. ITALY - Italy Backs IOM Programmes in the Balkans and Eastern Europe
2. SPAIN - Protection of Trafficking Victims - Best Practices Seminar
3. GENEVA - IOM Photo Book Wins Award

ITALY - Italy Backs IOM Programmes in the Balkans and Eastern Europe - The Italian government has announced over EUR 2.1 million in funding for three IOM projects to be implemented in the Balkans in 2003 and over EUR 113,000 to a new IOM counter trafficking initiative in Eastern Europe.

The Balkan projects include a EUR 1.1 million psychological and trauma response initiative for war victims in Serbia; a EUR 520, 000 counter trafficking initiative in Albania, Croatia, Montenegro, Kosovo and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM); and a EUR 500,000 transitional assistance programme for former soldiers in Bosnia & Herzegovina.

Separately, the Italian Ministry of the Interior announced over EUR 113,000 in backing for a new IOM counter trafficking information campaign in Albania, Romania, Moldova and Ukraine.

Building on IOM's extensive experience in the region, IOM and partner NGOs Caritas and Regina Pacis will produce and distribute public information materials including pamphlets, posters and Public Service Announcements targeting potential victims of trafficking, primarily women and minors.

IOM and its partners will also organise events with the local media and work with government officials, NGOs and Italian Embassy staff in the region specializing in counter trafficking. IOM will implement the programme in Albania and Romania, while Caritas and Regina Pacis will implement it in Moldova and Ukraine.

Further details from: Luca Dall'Oglio, Chief of Mission, IOM Rome. Tel. +39.6.440.31.428.

SPAIN - Protection of Trafficking Victims - Best Practices Seminar - A two-day IOM seminar on information exchange and best practices for the protection of trafficking victims in EU states and Eastern European EU candidate countries ends in Madrid today. The EU-funded workshop follows the European Conference on Preventing and Combating Trafficking in Human Beings in an Enlarged EU, held in Brussels in September.

The workshop, which is being attended by representatives of governments, international organisations and NGOs from Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Spain, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Ukraine and Albania, addresses concerns that the treatment of victims of trafficking under the law currently varies widely in Europe.

The Final Declaration of the Brussels conference provided a framework for future efforts in the fight against human trafficking in the EU and the candidate countries of Eastern Europe. This included a roadmap of best practices designed to generate a comprehensive and co-ordinated European approach to ending the human rights abuses associated with trafficking in human beings.

Further details from Carmen Penalba, Head of Office, IOM Madrid, Tel. +34.91.445.7116 or Cecile Raillant, IOM Brussels. Tel. +32.2.282.4560.

GENEVA - IOM Photo Book Wins Award - A coffee table photo book published to mark IOM's 50th anniversary has been honoured by the French advertising industry.

The book, "Helping a World in Motion", was designed by French graphic designers Tagaro, and contains images of IOM's work with migrants over the past 50 years.

The leading French business magazine "Stratégies", which organizes the annual "Grand Prix Stratégies Corporate & Business", named the book as one of the best entries in the "Institutional Communication" category for 2002.

The book was selected by a jury of leading French advertising professionals.