Interim PM Ciuca: Important to raise public awareness on modern slavery, human trafficking - a scourge to be eradicated

Interim Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca underscored the importance for the authorities to raise public awareness on "modern-day slavery", stressing that it is essential to ensure "cooperation and coordination of actions" to combat this scourge, at national, European and international level. On Thursday, the interim prime minister participated in the signing of cooperation agreements between the National Agency Against Trafficking in Persons (ANTIP) and the Romanian Orthodox Church, respectively the Bucharest City Hall, for combating and preventing human trafficking and protecting victims. "Today's event is a stage in an effort in which the authorities, the representatives of civil society, the church, but also each and everyone of us must partake. It is important to raise public awareness of modern-day slavery, a scourge that must be eradicated. Freedom is a fundamental right for every person and a fundamental value of humanity. In all its forms, human trafficking is an open wound of contemporary society, affecting, sometimes irreparably, its victims," the interim Prime Minister affirmed. He pointed out that "the phenomenon of migration has accentuated human trafficking, speculating on the vulnerabilities of people without help and material resources." "According to statistics, Romania is at the top of migration. A sad reality that we must accept, but for which we are also obligated to find solutions, here in the country, to stop this phenomenon. The cooperation agreement signed today needs action tools, a real and concrete involvement of all those who can contribute to the eradication of human trafficking. We need results, steps have been taken and they are being carried on, but nevertheless much remains to be done. Judicial efforts against human traffickers must be intensified. So does the fight against organized crime rings, which take advantage of vulnerable people and send men, women and children to work illegally in Romania or in other European countries. Human traffickers should receive a clear signal that such actions will not be tolerated," Ciuca said. The interim Prime Minister added that "warning campaigns against human trafficking and funding for assistance and victim protection services" are also needed. "In the fight we are conducting against human trafficking, a phenomenon as complex as it is dark and inhuman, it is essential to ensure cooperation and coordination of actions, both at national and European and international level, because trafficking in human beings has no borders and, unfortunately, most of the victims are women and children. Today's cooperation agreement is an example of good practice that needs to be multiplied. I congratulate you on this initiative and, at the same time, I would like to convey a message that each of us needs to be involved in combating this phenomenon," Ciuca also declared. The event organized by the United States Embassy in Romania on the occasion of the International Day of Human Rights - "Human Trafficking: New Path of Cooperation and Achievement" - was also attended by the US Ambassador in Bucharest, Adrian Zuckerman, Minister of Justice Catalin Predoiu, Minister of the Interior Marcel Vela, General Mayor of the Capital Nicusor Dan, former prime minister Ludovic Orban and His Grace Varlaam Ploiesteanul, Vicar Bishop to the Patriarch. AGERPRES (RO - author: Daniel Florea, editor: Mihai Simionescu; EN - author: Simona Iacob, editor: Razvan-Adrian Pandea)

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