Glossary of Key Terms Best Interests Determination A formal process with strict procedural safeguards designed to determine the child’s best interest for particularly important decisions affecting the child. Child Any person under 18 years of age. Complementary / Formal permission, under national law or practice, to reside subsidiary protection in a country extended by that country to persons who are in need of international protection, even though they do not qualify for refugee status under the UN Refugee Convention. Country of destination In the context of trafficking in human beings, this refers to the country where a trafficked person has been taken to or is being taken to for the purpose of her or his exploitation. Country of origin Country or countries of nationality or, for stateless persons, of former habitual residence. In certain instances, including, for example, under the Dublin Regulation, this may also refer to a country of transit. Human rights-based A conceptual framework that is normatively based on interapproach national human rights standards and that is operationally directed at promoting and protecting human rights. International protection Actions taken by the international community that, on the basis of international law, aim to protect the fundamental rights of a specific category of persons located outside their countries of origin who lack the national protection of their own countries. National Referral Mechanism A co-operative framework within which state actors fulfil their obligations to protect and promote the human rights of trafficked persons by co-ordinating their efforts in a strategic partnership with civil society.1 1 1  See the definition of national referral mechanism as defined in National Referral Mechanisms – Joining Efforts to Protect the Rights of Trafficked Persons: A Practical Handbook, OSCE/ODIHR, 2004. Guiding Principles on Human Rights in the Return of Trafficked Persons 7