EU Statement at pre-consultations of the 35th session of the CCPCJ, 29 May 2026
Chair,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States. Albania, Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Iceland, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine align themselves with this statement.
The EU attaches great importance to the topics of the three resolutions under discussion for the 35th session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, including the fight against trafficking in persons. For us, a comprehensive and human rights-based, gender-responsive and child-sensitive approach, in line with obligations under international law, including theUNTOC Protocol to Prevent, Supress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children is essential. It should consider inter alia operational cooperation, judicial training, online dimensions, and persons in vulnerable situations. In this regard, we recall the adoption in 2024 of the revised EU Anti-trafficking Directive, which further strengthens the EU legal framework to prevent and combat trafficking, including by reinforcing these elements.
While we welcome this issue to be tackled at the CCPCJ, we regret the prominent role of Belarus in these negotiations, a country that violates its obligations under international law, in particular international human rights law, through its involvement in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and its instrumentalization of migration. We will continue to oppose any leadership by Belarus on actions against trafficking in persons.
We sincerely thank you, Chair, for your leadership and we trust that you will be able to bring this session to a successful outcome. We also thank the Secretariat for their tireless work.
Thank you, Chair.