Following a meeting in Rome with Kari Johnstone, OSCE Special Representative on Combating Human Trafficking, Vice-President Eugenio Zoffili (Italy) today issued the following statement:

“As Special Representative on Combating Organized Crime and Vice-President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, yesterday in Rome I met, together with the Italian Delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, the OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Dr. Kari Johnstone, who is currently on an institutional mission in Italy and whom I thank for her availability.

Dr. Johnstone provided us with an update on the strategic guidelines related to the many commitments she is addressing in Italy, and for my part I assured her of my full support and cooperation. The issue she addressed, in addition to being of great relevance to the entire OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, is particularly linked to my role as Special Representative on Combating Organized Crime, as the fastest-growing form of human trafficking is often connected to drug trafficking. Together, these crimes represent one of the main sources of funding for criminal organizations, which must be fought vigorously by promoting and strengthening synergies at all transnational institutional levels.”

For more information on the work of Special Representative on Combating Organized Crime Zoffili, please click here.