31 Ott – UN Special Rapporteur Maria Grazia Giammarinaro will assess the issue of trafficking in people in Montenegro, during an official visit to the country from 1-8 November 2019.
“This visit will be an opportunity to meet relevant officials and groups to discuss trafficking in persons in all its forms, and the key human rights concerns, as well as the progress that Montenegro has made,” Ms Giammarinaro said.
“I will pay particular attention to the main challenges in implementing international and legal frameworks on trafficking, especially where women and children are concerned.
“I will also examine Montenegro’s existing and planned measures to prevent trafficking, identify and protect victims, prosecute perpetrators and ensure access to justice and social inclusion for survivors.”
Ms Giammarinaro will meet representatives of Government agencies, as well as UN officials and members of civil society organisations, especially those working on identification and victim support, during her visit to Podgorica and Niksic. She will also visit a migrant reception centre to assess the challenges of identifying and assisting victims of trafficking among mixed migration flows.
The Special Rapporteur will hold a press conference to share her preliminary observations with the media. It will take place at 10:00 local time on Friday 8 November 2019 at the UN Eco House, Stanka Dragojevića bb, Podgorica, Montenegro. Access will be strictly limited to journalists.
The Special Rapporteur’s findings and recommendations will be included in an official report to be presented to the UN Human Rights Council in June 2020.
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Ms Maria Grazia Giammarinaro (Italy) was appointed as Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children, by the UN Human Rights Council in June 2014. She has been a Judge since 1991 and currently serves as a Judge at the Civil Court of Rome. She was the Special Representative and Coordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings of the OSCE, and served in the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Justice, Freedom and Security in Brussels, where she was responsible for combating human trafficking and sexual exploitation of children. Ms Giammarinaro drafted the EU Directive on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims.
The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.