Moldova does not yet fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking

Moldova continues to be a major source of trafficking in women and does not yet fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking is showed in the Annual Trafficking in Persons Report, presented yesterday in Washington. The document mentions also some progresses registered during the last year in the area of law enforcement by the Government of Moldova, stepping up investigations and convicting more traffickers. According to a press release of the US Embassy Chisinau, Moldova is a major source country for trafficked women and girls for sexual exploration in the Middle Orient and European countries. To a lesser extent, Moldova serves as a transit country to European destinations for victims trafficked from other former Soviet states. The situation grows worse because the Transnistrian region is outside the central government’s control and remained a significant source and transit area for trafficking in persons. However, the government showed a lack of anti-trafficking leadership by depending almost exclusively on NGOs to carry out its work on prevention and protection, presents the report. Although, the government increased its law enforcement efforts, during the period analyzed in the report, there are great suspicions that the government increased its use of suspended sentences in 2005 related to judicial corruption. Allegations of trafficking related corruption among some law enforcement officials continued, although the government did not take action. The Government of Moldova’s efforts to protect and reintegrate trafficking victims remained weak throughout the reporting period. U.S. Embassy Charge d’Affaires, John Winant, said in connection with the release of the report: “We encourage the Moldovan Government to work with its National Committee on Trafficking in Persons to implement the new National Action Plan, devote real resources to prevention, and provide victims with the protection and assistance that they deserve.” The report, which covers 158 countries, describes the trafficking situation in each country and outlines the concrete actions taken by that government to combat the problem. The goal of the Report is to raise global awareness of this crime and to motivate countries to take decisive action to counter trafficking in persons within and across their borders. The Trafficking in Persons Report rates each country on a three-tiered system, linking the rating to tangible actions taken by each government to eradicate trafficking during the previous year. A country rated as Tier Three, for example, has severe trafficking problems and has not taken adequate steps in the past year to address the problem. A Tier One country, on the other hand, has proven that it is taking concrete and successful steps against trafficking. Moldova continues to remain in Tier Two in the 2006 Trafficking in Persons Report. According to the report of the US State Department, about 800 thousand persons, especially women and children are trafficked annually.