63rd Commission on the Status of Women (CSW63)

“Women Victims of Trafficking” - round-table discussion hosted by Anti-Trafficking Coordinator, Dr Myria Vassiliadou

13 March 2019, New York

On Wednesday 13 March 2019, the European Union in partnership with the Philippines and the International Organization for Migration, organised a round-table discussion to foster exchanges on EU and international legal and policy frameworks for the rights of victims of trafficking and examine their implementation, especially as they relate to women and girls. The event, moderated by Dr Myria Vassiliadou, EU Anti-Trafficking Coordinator, brought together EU and international partners to promote an exchange of perspectives on how the rights of victims of trafficking should be translated into a living reality, including by looking at the progress that has been achieved, the remaining obstacles and the way forward.

The panel included:

• Dr. Myria Vassiliadou, EU Anti-Trafficking Coordinator
• H.E. Ms. Laura Thompson, Deputy Director General, International Organisation for Migration
• Representative of the Philippines (name TBC)
• H.E. Mr. John Cotton Richmond, US Ambassador-at-Large to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons
• H.E. Amb. Kornelios S. Korneliou, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Cyprus to the UN
• H.E. Amb. Maria Theofili , Permanent Representative of Greece to the UN
• Ms. Ulasi Ebele, Director of the Counselling and Rehabilitation Department, Nigerian National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons

Trafficking of women and girls is recognised by the European Union as a form of structural violence against women and until this day, the majority of its victims are women and girls. The EU has launched, together with the UN, the “Spotlight Initiative” to eliminate violence against women, aiming at mobilising commitment of political leaders and contributing to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and more specifically Goal 5 on Gender Equality and Goal 16 on inclusive and peaceful societies. It does so by building new multi-stakeholder partnerships and providing large-scale, targeted support, backed by an initial dedicated financial envelope from the EU of €500 million.

For more information:
63rd Session on the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW63)
Side Event: Access to rights for women and girls who are victims of trafficking
2017 European Commission Communication on the follow-up to the EU Anti-Trafficking Strategy (2012-2016)
EU Anti-Trafficking Directive
Gender-specific measures in anti-trafficking actions: EIGE report