Brussels, 17/09/2002 (Agence Europe) - On the initiative of Commissioner Antonio Vitorino, a European conference on "the prevention and the fight against the trafficking in human beings: a world challenge for the XXIst century" is to be held at the European Parliament from 18 to 20 September, under the high patronage of King Albert II. This conference is being organised by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), in co-operation with the European Commission, the European Parliament, Member States and candidate countries. Work will be opened by the Director General of the IOM, Brunson McKinley, Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, the Danish Minister for Equal Opportunities, Henriette Kjaer, for the Danish Presidency, as well as Italian Deputy Foreign Minister, Margherita Boniver. The Commissioner for equal opportunities, Anna Diamantopoulou will speak on 19 September on "Combating Modern Slavery- the role of the EU in the protection and aid to victims of trafficking". Ms. Diamantopoulou will analyse the social fall-out of the phenomenon of trafficking from the point of view of equal opportunities and the deep roots of this phenomenon, notably poverty.
Participants will turn to: (1) the EU's policies and prospects in combating the trafficking in human beings; (2) preventing the trafficking; (3) protection and aid to the victims (who for the most part are children and women); (4) police and legal co-operation. A "Brussels Declaration", with conclusions and recommendations, should be approved and the conclusions will be drawn by the co-chair of the JHA Council, Bertel Haarder, Brunson McKinley and the chair of the EP's committee on liberties and justice, Jorge Salvador Hernandez Mollar. (See EUROPE of 7 September, p.17).