Baku - IOM facilitated a four-day (14-19/4) study tour to Vienne, Austria, for eleven government officials headed by Mr. Elchin Khalafov, the Rector of Justice Academy with technical and logistical support by IOM Azerbaijan and IOM/RO Vienna under the framework of the project “Enhancement of National Capacities to Combat Human Trafficking in Azerbaijan (ENCT)” funded by European Union and co-funded by IOM Development Fund.

The objective of the study tour is to familiarize representatives from Justice Academy of Ministry of Justice, Main Department on Combating Trafficking of Human Beings of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, as well as judges from regional appeal courts, prosecutors form General Prosecutors Office with the implementation of International and European standards in judicial decisions, protection of victims of trafficking, analysis of legal framework as well as prosecution of Trafficking in Human Beings cases in Austria along with the procedures and rulings in the area of combating human trafficking.

On 15 April the delegation had meetings at Ministry of Foreign Affairs with Ambassador Petra Schneebauer, National 2Coordinator on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings as well as Public Prosecutors, Dr. Maria-Luise Nittel and Dr. Ursula Schrall-Kropiunig at the General Prosecutors office.

The Austrian colleagues shared with Azerbaijan delegates their experience and best practices, approaches and new tendencies in the sphere of counter-trafficking, touching upon national referral mechanism, procedures of VoTs’ assistance provision.

During the study tour the delegation will also visit Drehscheibe Crisis Center for Unaccompanied Foreign Minors of the City of Vienna, Intervention Center for Trafficked Women, Provincial Criminal Court Vienna, Criminal Intelligence Service Austria.

The study tour is not only a good opportunity to learn best practices and further apply them at the national level where possible but to establish working contacts with the Austria colleagues.