Authorities and civil society from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia are intensifying cooperation to tackle child trafficking for forced begging, a persistent and urgent challenge faced by both countries.

At a joint meeting on 2 October in Sarajevo, ministries, prosecutors, judges, law enforcement, social services, and civil society organisations exchanged practical experiences on investigations and prosecutions, protection of child victims, and common challenges.

Opening the session, Stanislava Tanić from the BiH Ministry of Security and Nenad Simić, Serbia’s National Anti-Trafficking Coordinator at the Ministry of Interior presented the current situation on the ground in their respective countries. Discussions centred on concrete case examples and methods used in judicial proceedings, along with obstacles encountered and lessons learned on how to overcome them. Participants underlined the importance of clear roles and responsibilities across all relevant actors - from investigations and evidence collection to victim support and the prosecution of perpetrators.

The contribution of referral mechanisms, mobile teams, and civil society organisations was particularly highlighted, especially in early detection and assistance. Ensuring that child victims receive timely and adequate protection, participants agreed, requires strong multi-stakeholder cooperation with the best interests of the child at the heart of every measure.

The meeting was jointly organised by the Council of Europe project “Strengthening access to justice and effective remedies for victims of trafficking in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” under the Council of Europe Action Plan for Bosnia and Herzegovina 2022-2025, and the action “Strengthening anti-trafficking action in Serbia”, implemented under the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”.