Joint Programme

Horizontal Facility

Access to free legal aid and compensation for the wrongdoings suffered by victims of human trafficking was in the focus of a capacity building activity on preventing and combating child trafficking, organised in Skopje with the support of EU and Council of Europe. Seventeen lawyers and members of NGOs enhanced their knowledge and skills on providing quality legal aid to victims of human trafficking. In addition, the Anti-trafficking network of lawyers and civil society organisations gave its contribution towards a proper implementation of the legislation on free legal aid by providing their experience regarding representation of victims through the free legal aid mechanism.

“Multi-institutional cooperation is necessary for effective prevention and fights against this serios crime. The Bar Association and its members have the capacity to provide quality legal aid to trafficking victims,” said Mr. Ljubomir MIHAJLOVSKI, the President of the Bar Association of North Macedonia. He described the ways the Bar Association could assist its members to enhance their capacities to represent trafficking victims, among other things, by offering trainings on trauma-informed interviewing of this vulnerable category.

Judge Cvetanka PERIC, the President of the recently established State Commission on Compensation of Victims of Violent Crimes, explained in a great detail the procedure to claim a state compensation for trafficking victims. She informed the participants that the above State Compensation Commission has already become operational, with finalising 2 out of 3 received claims for compensation. 

The Anti-trafficking network of lawyers and civil society organisations was also trained on trauma-informed communication with victims of violence. Professor Verica TRAJKOVA from the civil society organisation “For Happy Childhood”, who used to provide a psychological assistance to trafficking victims, was able to ignite knowledge about the 4 ways of communication with trafficking victims and to explain how to approach those victims to gain their trust and obtain information needed to protect their interest in legal proceedings. 

A special panel was dedicated to legal aid for victims of crime and human trafficking organised in co-operation with the EU and Council of Europe action: “Towards a consolidated and more efficient Free Legal Aid (FLA) system in North Macedonia”. The participants were informed about the novelties in the Law on Free Legal Aid, followed by in-depth discussion on access to free legal aid for trafficking victims.

The participants were engaged in a group work based on a real trafficking case and simulated an interview conducted with a presumed victim of human trafficking. In addition, they were informed about the Convention on action against trafficking of human beings of the Council of Europe and its monitoring body-the Group of experts on action against trafficking in human beings.

The event was organised in co-operation with the Bar Association of North Macedonia by the action “Strengthening anti - trafficking action in North MacedoniaStrengthening anti - trafficking action in North Macedonia”, part of the of the European Union and Council of Europe joint initiative “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”.