PM Dancila: Gov't priority - Development of US-Romania Strategic Partnership on human trafficking component

One of the Government's priorities is the development and enlargement of the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the US in more areas, including in terms of protecting and promoting the human rights and fighting human trafficking, reads the message sent by Prime Minister Viorica Dancila at the debate called "Executive Leadership in the Response to Trafficking in Persons," which was organised by the US embassy in Bucharest. 

"I want to congratulate the US Embassy for organising this event and I want to assure you will have a reliable partner in Romania's Government in terms of preventing and fighting human trafficking. (...) Our commitment, of Romania's Government, is unequivocal. We want to get involved and contribute to fighting human trafficking and our country is and will be in the front line in this fight, with all its available means. In order to be efficient, a strategy that fights this phenomenon should adopt a multi-disciplinary approach that will include prevention, protection of human rights, of victims and the criminal prosecution of traffickers, pursuing, at the same time, the harmonisation of the relevant national legislation and ensuring that these laws are enforced uniformly and efficiently. The international cooperation and solidarity are decisive in order to make this world a better place, make it more safe and equitable," reads the PM's message that was delivered at the event by Deputy Prime Minister Ana Birchall. 

Interior Minister Carmen Dan, too, conveyed a message on this occasion, that was also delivered by Deputy PM Ana Birchall. She pointed out that "Romania is participating in the efforts put in by organisations such as EUROPOL, INTERPOL, EUROJUST, FRONTEX or SELEC in order to fight trans-border criminality and limit the negative effects of human or children trafficking, the fight against human trafficking representing one of the Interior Ministry priorities." 

"Romania has a legislative and institutional framework which ensures the drawing up and implementation of measures in all areas of intervention which are specific to human trafficking: prevention, combat, protection and assistance, partnerships. In Romania, the victims of human trafficking benefit, through law, from protection and physical, judicial and special assistance, appropriate to their age, thus, protecting their private lives and identity and have the right to physical, psychological and social recovery," Interior Minister Carmen Dan stated. 

Moreover, Deputy PM Ana Birchall underscored within the debate that "human trafficking represents an increased threat of trans-border criminality which undermines the guarantee of fundamental human freedoms." 

"Human trafficking is the third form of organised crime in terms of the profits it generates and, unfortunately, the awareness efforts and those of fighting human trafficking are many times insufficient in relation to the magnitude of the situation. (...) Human trafficking can be stopped if we further pay the proper attention to this scourge, if we will be together and unite our efforts to ensure that traffic is eradicated from our societies and economies," Birchall stated according to a press release sent to AGERPRES. 

The event gathered high level officials, such as magistrates and authorities specialised in fighting human trafficking from the US, Romania and the Republic of Moldova.