3.3 Office of the Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings Background The OSCE commitments to combat human trafficking adopted at the Ministerial level between 2000-2011 comprise the political framework for actions to be taken nationally.11 These Decisions also contain tasks for the OSCE structures to assist the participating States in the implementation of anti-trafficking commitments and recommendations of the OSCE Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings (THB) which was endorsed in 2003 by the MC Decision No.2/03. In 2005, the Action Plan was further developed with a view to address the special needs of child victims of human trafficking. On 6 December 2013, with Decision no. 1107, the Action Plan was amended with the Addendum to the OSCE Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings: One Decade Later. The OSCE has developed the operational framework to address the threat of THB. In 2004, OSCE anti-trafficking Mechanism was established on the basis of the Maastricht Ministerial Decision under the aegis of the Permanent Council, consisting of a Special Representative, appointed by the Chairman-in-Office, and a special unit in the Secretariat. The Brussels Ministerial Decision of 2006 led to the combination of the two, currently known as the Office of the Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings (OSR/CTHB), in order to further assist the participating States in the implementation of their commitments and to raise the political profile of the fight against modern-day slavery. THB is a cross-dimensional issue that cuts across all three dimensions of the OSCE’s comprehensive approach to security. In line with this approach and its mandate, the OSR/CTHB continued to work closely and strengthen co-ordination with all entities within the OSCE dealing with THB or related issues. In practice, this involves liaising and working with ODIHR, field operations (and especially their anti-trafficking Focal Points) and the Secretariat units, including OCEEA, TNTD (SPMU, ATU, BSMU), the Gender Section, External Cooperation, and PPIS. The hidden and illegal practice of trafficking in human beings relies on smuggling routes and infrastructure already established by organized crime. Transnational organized criminal groups and terrorists thrive on the proceeds of trafficking, and illicit profits are used to corrupt government officials. Thus the costs and challenges to law enforcement agencies are greatly increased. Therefore, efforts to counter human trafficking should be considered as bringing dividends in preventing and countering terrorism and organized crime as such. This link clearly justifies THB as an integral part of transnational threats and challenges. Capacity Building Activities The OSCE structures continued implementing projects also in the politico-military dimension, including training for law enforcement agencies and police - such as the TNTD/SPMU projects - aimed at the successful prosecution of trafficking cases without relying on the 11 Key reference documents of the United Nations, Council of Europe and the OSCE include: The 2000 UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) and its Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, and its Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air; the OSCE Vienna Ministerial Decision (2000); the OSCE Bucharest Ministerial Decision (2001); the OSCE Porto Ministerial Declaration on THB (2002); the OSCE Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings (2003), the Maastricht Ministerial Decision (2003), the Sofia Ministerial Decision (2004), the Ljubljana Ministerial Decisions, including the Addendum to the OSCE Action Plan (2005), the Brussels Ministerial Decisions (2006), the Madrid Ministerial Decision (2007), the Helsinki Ministerial Decision (2008); the Vilnius Ministerial Declaration on Combating All Forms of Human Trafficking (2011); the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (where appropriate) and others; and the Addendum to the OSCE Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings: One Decade Later. 45