PART II 5 INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS STANDARDS The OSCE has recognized trafficking in human beings as an “abhorrent human rights abuse and a serious crime”,46 and it is by no means limited to only those countries in which the OSCE has field missions. OSCE participating States are committed to ending all forms of trafficking in human beings and have committed themselves to a human rights-based approach to combating trafficking. In particular, they have pledged to take measures, including by adopting legislation, to protect the human rights of victims and to ensure that victims of trafficking do not face prosecution solely because they have been trafficked. The OSCE Ministerial Council in Vienna (2000) specifically authorized and encouraged OSCE field operations to become involved in individual cases of trafficking in human beings.47 It recognized “that OSCE field operations, within the legal framework of the host countries, can have a valuable role to play in the fight against trafficking, including by regular monitoring and reporting and assisting State authorities through, inter alia, promoting dialogue and acting as a bridge between governments and non-governmental organizations and institutions, in resolving individual trafficking cases”.48 46 Vienna Ministerial Council (2000), Decision 1, Paragraph 1. 47 Decision No. 1. 48 Paragraph 12. The decision also sets out a number of other commitments and activities with regard to combating trafficking. 58