“I am so incredibly honored to be one of the many contributors and to also be featured on the cover of the updated National Referral Mechanism Handbook (NRM) Joining Efforts to Protect the Rights of Trafficked Persons: A Practical Handbook” stated Jerome Elam, President and CEO of Trafficking in America Task Force
The Updated National Referral Mechanism Handbook (NRM) is a both a beacon of knowledge and hope with insights from survivors. The NRM will allow the 57 member states of the OSCE to combat the scourge of human trafficking with a surgical precision gleaned from both experts and survivors. Please join me in supporting and applauding the amazing efforts of everyone who helped make the updated NRM a reality.
OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) cordially invites you to the Launch of the updated National Referral Mechanism Handbook Joining Efforts to Protect the Rights of Trafficked Persons: A Practical Handbook
Nearly two decades after the publication of the first edition of the NRM Handbook in 2004, ODIHR will issue an updated version to provide guidance to OSCE participating States on establishing and strengthening national referral mechanisms (NRM). An NRM is a co-operative, national framework through which governments fulfil their obligations to protect and promote the human rights of victims of trafficking, and co-ordinate their efforts in a strategic partnership with civil society organizations, survivor leaders and the private sector. The purpose of the updated NRM Handbook is to provide essential ‘know-how’ of the working methods, procedures and services required to fulfil NRMs objectives, centering all communications and actions on the protection of victims and the overall prevention of trafficking in human beings.
The event will showcase the key components and new features of the updated NRM Handbook and highlight the importance of a human rights-based, gender-sensitive, trauma-informed, and victim- and survivor-centered approach. It will also facilitate the exchange of information among OSCE delegations, international experts, survivor leaders and civil society on ensuring that survivor voices are reflected in the implementation of NRMs across the OSCE region.
The updated NRM Handbook will be presented by Tatiana Kotlyarenko, ODIHR Adviser on Anti-Trafficking Issues, Rachel Witkin, Head of Counter-Trafficking, Helen Bamber Foundation, and Maximilian Scheid, ODIHR Assistant Project Officer.
Reflections on the NRM Handbook will be presented by leading anti-trafficking experts, including:
Shandra Woworuntu
Chair of the ODIHR International Survivors of Trafficking Advisory Council (ISTAC)
Valiant Richey
OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings
Kevin Hyland OBE
First UK Independent AntiSlavery Commissioner and Member of Council of Europe GRETA
Maia Rusakova
Executive Director, Stellit
With welcome remarks by Matteo Mecacci, Director, Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, Representative of the Polish CiO (tbc), and US Congressman Chris Smith, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Special Representative on Trafficking in Human Beings.
Moderator: Andrea Huber, ODIHR Head of Human Rights Department
Russian interpretation will be provided.
Those interested can register: https://osce-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_MTOW5REPSs-WeBBih2uluw
