Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights

Delegation of Kosovo
Human Trafficking in Eastern Europe
The Republic of Kosovo is a sovereign state located in southeastern Europe. It
proclaimed its independence recently, on February 17 2008, following an intricate series
of events after the Kosovo War. Said war consisted in a joint operation between the
Kosovo Liberation Army and NATO against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, to gain
independence from the latter. Despite its independence, nations such as China and
Russia have failed to recognize Kosovo as a nation. Regarding human trafficking,
Kosovo is in a delicate situation largely due to its geographical location and deficient
actions during the UN administration of the territory. Human trafficking, as most human
rights violations, cannot be eradicated, but it can be decreased.
According to the US Department of State, Kosovo is a source, transit and
destination country for victims of human trafficking. Women compromise the majority of
human trafficking cases for prostitution ends, followed by children for the ever growing
organ harvesting and begging business. The majority of these persons come from
neighboring countries such as Moldova, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia and Bulgaria. The
Kosovan government has made significant advances in the topic, despite of the short
life of this new state. Law heavily criminalizes human trafficking with up to 12 years
imprisonment. In 2008, 24 trafficking cases were prosecuted, resulting in 16 convictions.
Along with the United Nations, the government of Kosovo has funded anti-trafficking
training for police officers, as well as cooperating with two shelters for victims.
Prevention is key to reduce the cases of human trafficking in Kosovo and the rest
of Eastern Europe and it is the most efficient way to target the issue. In order to do this,
education campaigns are a must, and are part of Kosovos plan of action. We believe
that through international cooperation, the issue may be diminished at large.