Committee for Combatting and Preventing Trafficking in Human Beings

Committee for Combatting and Preventing Trafficking in Human Beings is a interministerial body coordinating antitrafficking policy in Poland. It's role is to develop and adopt National Action Plans Against Trafficking in Human Beings - strategic documents determining actions of law enforcement agencies and public administration bodies - and coordinate its implementation.

About the Committee

Members of the Committee

Actors invited to participate in the works of the committee

About the Committee

At the beginning of the 1990s there was a growth trafficking in human beings observed in Poland. At present, Poland is not only a country of origin of victims but also a transit country, a region through which victims are transferred from Eastern to Western Europe and a destination country for victims of trafficking in human beings for sexual exploitation and forced labour.

In cooperation with the “Global Programme Against Trafficking in Human Beings of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime”, the Government has started a project against traffickingin persons. The projects aim is to strengthen criminal justice in response to trafficking and to enhance the coordination amongst the criminal justice system, civil society, and other organizations, to prevent trafficking and control the involvement of organized crime.

In September 2003, the Government of Poland approved the first national document, which was set to combat trafficking and coordinate such efforts of the Government, private sector, and NGOs. 

The system for implementation and monitoring of tasks provided for in the “National Action Plan Against Trafficking in Human Beings” consists of the following elements:

• interministerial Committee for Combating and Preventing Trafficking in Human Beings, functioning since 2004 as a consultative and advisory body of the Prime Minister. At present, the Committee is comprised of representatives of government entities, as well as of invited institutions and nongovernmental organisation dealing with the issues of trafficking in human beings;

• Working Group of the above-mentioned Committee responsible for day-to-day monitoring of implementation of the Plan, consisting of experts representing institutions participating in the Committee’s work.

Contact:

The Secretary of the Committee and the Chairman of it’s Working Group is Deputy Director of the Migration Policy Department in the Ministry of Interior is Mr Piotr Mierecki.

tel.: + 48 (22) 60 145 51

fax: + 48 (22) 60 145 56

e-mail: zespol.handel@msw.gov.pl

Members of the committee

Chair of the Committee - Secretary of State in the Ministry of the Interior and Administration

Deputy Chailr of the Committee - Deputy Head of Police 

Secretary of the Committee - Deputy Director of the Department for Migration Policy in Ministry of the Interior

Ministry of the Interior and Administration provides administrative and secretarial support to the committee. Ministry of the Interior also supports all the activities in the framework of the Committee For Combating and Preventing Trafficking in Human Beings. It ensures organization of conferences and meetings gathering actors involved in combating trafficking and supports projects on trafficking related issues. Ministry cooperates with non-governmental organizations. It also commissions and coordinates a public task called "The National Consulting and Intrvention Centre" - providing security and support to presumend and identified victims of THB.

Police Headquarters

The Police has specilised structure to combat trafficking in human beings. The actions are coordinated by a Unit to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings in the Criminal Service Office of Police Headquarters.

Border Guard Headquarters

Intelligence and Investigation Department of the BG Headquarters is responsible for coordinating Border Guard actions in the area of combating THB.

Prosecution General

Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Ministry of Health

Ministry of Education

Actors invited to participate in the works of the Committee

“La Strada” Foundation against Trafficking in Persons and Slavery is a specialized and professional expert and advisory centre on the issue of trafficking in human beings. The personnel of the foundation is engaged in three fields of activities: lobby, prevention and social assistance. It responds to changes, new trends and developments in this area.

Association Help-Full for Women and Children of Immaculate Mary’s main goal is to help women and their children endangered or afflicted by sexual, physical and psychological violence, victims of human trafficking and their families.

Nobody’s Children Foundation organizes training programmes on problems related to child abuse for various professional groups and interdisciplinary terms, provides psychological assistance to unaccompanied children of foreign origins and children-victims of trafficking.

The Halina Nieć Legal Aid Center’s main objective is to undertake activities aimed at preventing and tackling human and child trafficking by organizing social campaigns and offering free legal aid to the victims.

ITAKA Foundation for the Assistance to Those Affected by Problem of Missing Persons seeks for missing persons, helps families of persons who left abroad searching for work, became the victims of trafficking or lost contact with the closest family.

Caritas Poland supports women who were impelled to prostitution and forced labour by means of deceit or abduction. It’s structure comprises information point, places of staying and assistance points.

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