Police-Related Activities of other Thematic Units Combat Human Trafficking, providing practical insights for the development of simulation-based exercises on combating human trafficking, as pioneered by the OSR/CTHB. The handbook further provided guidance on reproducing this capacity-building methodology and collecting the best practice and lessons learned from the simulation-based trainings previously carried out by the OSR/CTHB, thus facilitating the conducting of effective and fine-tuned simulations in the future, especially at the national level. In December, a Russian-language version of the handbook was also published. On 14 March, the OSR/CTHB conducted a briefing on the Russian-language International Simulation-Based Training in Minsk for national partners and stakeholders, including representatives of the law enforcement and prosecution agencies. From 24 to 28 June, supported by the FOs and international partners, the OSR/CTHB organized a second Russianlanguage “International Simulation-Based Training on Combating Human Trafficking along Migration Routes” in Nur-Sultan. More than 70 professionals from law enforcement agencies, labour inspectorates, border and migration authorities, prosecution offices, CSOs and public social services from 17 participating States participated in the training. The exercise offered front-line responders the opportunity to be trained on real-life anti-trafficking responses to simulated cases of human trafficking for labour and sexual exploitation, including child victims. From 16 to 20 September, the OSR/CTHB organized the first Mediterranean English-language “International SimulationBased Training on Combating Human Trafficking along Migration Routes” in Vicenza. More than 74 professionals from the law enforcement agencies, judiciary, social service providers, asylum agencies and civil society from 38 countries attended the five-day training. For the first time, the training also included participants from six Partners for Co-operation as well as ten participants from six African countries (whose participation was funded by the UN). The aim of the activity was to enhance the capacity of participants to effectively identify, investigate and prosecute human trafficking cases amongst migrants and refugees in mixed migration flows in the Mediterranean region. The success of the international exercise conducted by OSR/ CTHB paved the way for the sustainability of this effort. Inspired by the methodology and the tangible results in the form of the joint rescuing of the victims and investigation of trafficking cases, from 14 to 18 October, Kazakhstan conducted its first national simulation-based training. Other countries – including Albania, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, An example of a multi-agency rescue of victims of human trafficking conducted as part of the second international Russian-language simulation-based exercise organized by the Office in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, June 2019. (OSCE) Ukraine and Uzbekistan – have all expressed their intention to organize similar exercises in 2020 and 2021. While traffickers change the modalities of committing THB crime and increasingly use technology to recruit, control and exploit victims, the anti-trafficking community is also exploring ways to use technology to prevent exploitation, protect victims and assist in holding traffickers to account. To this end, in 2019, the OSR/CTHB focused its efforts on supporting participating States in understanding and responding to the 'dual nature' of technology as it relates to THB. From 8 to 9 April, the OSR/CTHB organized the 19th Alliance against Trafficking in Persons Conference in Vienna entitled “Using Technology to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings: Turning a Liability into an Asset”. More than 400 practitioners, including from law enforcement and judiciary agencies, across all participating States and Partners for Cooperation participated in the conference. Four expert-based panels addressed the misuse of technology in facilitating trafficking, the use of technology as a tool for preventative and victim-protection measures, and the current and future strategic approaches to technology and THB. The conference also created new networks and partnerships between technology firms, civil society, law enforcement agencies and international organizations. Conference side events also provided a forum for interaction on more specialized aspects of technology and THB, by helping to highlight the practical use of ICT tools in improving the proactive identification of victims of trafficking, preventing child trafficking via the Internet, the potential of block chain technology in identifying risks in supply chains, and the role that data visualization and data analysis tools can play in highlighting the risks of THB. 37