3.3 Office of the Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings Background Trafficking in human beings (THB) is one of the most pressing human rights issues and complex transnational challenges in the OSCE region. It undermines the rule of law and democratic values, endangers economic stability, thrives on corruption and inequalities and poses a significant security threat to States and their societies. As such, trafficking in human beings is an issue that cuts across all three dimensions of the OSCE’s comprehensive approach to security. 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. Therefore, efforts to counter human trafficking should be considered as bringing added value to preventing and countering terrorism and organized crime. The OSCE commitments to combat human trafficking adopted at the Ministerial level between 2000 and 2015 build on other relevant international documents and comprise the political framework for national action to combat trafficking in human beings in the OSCE region.7 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. In 2005, the Action Plan was further strengthened with a view to address the special needs of child victims of trafficking in human beings and in 2013, the Action Plan was amended with the Addendum to the OSCE Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings: One Decade Later. In line with its mandate, the OSR/CTHB will continue to co-ordinate anti-trafficking efforts within the OSCE to make full use of existing structures and promote comprehensive responses. In this vein, the OSR/CTHB engages with relevant thematic units of the Secretariat – especially with the Transnational Threats Department (TNTD), the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) and the Gender Section – in joint projects and activities. Following the closure of its anti-trafficking programme in 2014, the OSR/CTHB will strengthen its co-ordination with the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) to further promote a human-rights based and victim-centred approach to combating human trafficking. Finally, the Office will expand its co-operation and exchange of good practices with OSCE field operations (FOs) through its network of Anti-Trafficking Focal Points to develop initiatives that impact at the national level. OSR/CTHB Police-Related Activities In 2014, the OSR/CTHB continued to implement projects and relevant trainings for law enforcement agencies. Moreover, the OSR/CTHB engaged with the judiciary and 7 48 Key reference documents of the United Nations, Council of Europe and the OSCE include the following: 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 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.