PRESS BRIEFING ON TRAFFICKING IN WOMEN

Recognizing that trafficking in women was a growing problem and that local authorities were doing nothing to stop it, the United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNMIBH)created STOP -- the Special Trafficking Operation Programme -- the head of that programme told correspondents at a Headquarters press briefing this afternoon. 

Celhia de Lavarene, who is also Special Adviser to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Bosnia and Herzegovina, said the programme was designed to monitor the activities of the local police and to raid establishments believed to be used in the trafficking of women in the sex trade.  International Police Task Force (IPTF) officers interviewed the women and, when requested, brought them to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) or local non-governmental organizations shelters.  There they were provided with counseling, medical assistance and repatriation assistance, if requested.  The fact that repatriation assistance could only be provided when requested, however, was a problem. 

Under normal circumstances, UNMIBH's mandate would be due to expire at the end of December, she added.  [On 3 July, the Security Council decided to extend the Mission until 15 July.]  She believed that the Mission would be extended every two weeks and that STOP would be able to continue its work.  Since the programme was initiated, in July 2001, over 600 establishments had been raided and more than 1,800 women had been interviewed.  STOP had also provided assistance to some 200 women through the IOM.

The European Union was expected to take over the Mission soon, she said.  She was concerned, however, whether the Union would have either the means or the people to do the job.  If those responsible for the programme were seated in Sarajevo, what STOP had accomplished to date would be reduced to zero.  Some 55 IPTF officers worked with about 150 local police.  STOP had the responsibility of monitoring and training local police and had to push for that job to get done.  If the European Union took over the Mission, it should do the same.

Asked to comment on her understanding of the problem in Bosnia in trafficking and the United Nations involvement in it, Ms. de Lavarene said there was a big difference between being involved in trafficking, which is buying and selling a human being and using services.  Trafficking means taking away a woman's passport and locking her in a room.  To say that UNMIBH personnel were involved in trafficking was a big accusation.  They were not involved in trafficking.  They had been involved in paying for certain services, which was different.

Was that detrimental to the work of the STOP programme? a correspondent asked.  Ms. de Lavarene said they were scared to death, because STOP raided nightclubs and other establishments.  STOP personnel went everywhere, day and night.  Four diplomats had been found once.  The fact that they were diplomats did not matter.  They did what they had to do, even photographing them.  She did not see United Nations personnel anymore.  She did not know where they went.  As long as they were not in places involved in trafficking, that was not her problem.  There was, in fact, a list of off-limit nightclubs and bars and people knew where not to go.

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