COSTA RICA REINFORCING INSTITUTIONS TO FIGHT HUMAN TRAFFICKING

BRIEF PROJECT HISTORY: Thanks to financial support from the Government of Canada, through Global Affairs Canada, the IBCR launched a new three-year project in Costa Rica in September 2015. The project aims at reinforcing the national fight against human trafficking, by specifically focusing on children who are victims of sexual exploitation for commercial purposes. The IBCR will participate in the professionalisation process of those involved in preventing, protecting, investigating and prosecuting human trafficking cases, thus reinforcing the interventions by Costa Rican authorities in the matter.

GOALS:

Develop new tools to help reinforce the abilities of police officers, investigators, prosecutors and judges when dealing with human trafficking cases, following an assessment of their needs

Facilitate transfer of skills and knowledge in order to enhance the professional abilities of personnel in question Integrate, in a permanent and mandatory manner, specialised training on human trafficking in vocational training centres

Our Committed Partners

“As a professor in the Human Sciences Department of the National Police School, I firmly believe in the importance of evaluating the national situation and local conditions, and of collecting data on the abilities of police to manage child trafficking Our country is a geographic hub for thousands of people traveling for various reasons, one of them being organised crime (…) As a policewoman, mother and citizen of Costa Rica, I would like to sincerely thank you for supporting our mission to build on the professional abilities of police officers, instructors and groups tasked with protecting minors and helping victims ”

Meetings with children, Costa Rica

PARTNERS: Global Affairs Canada, Canadian Embassy in Costa Rica, National Police School, National Law School, Organismo de Investigación Judicial (Judicial Investigation Services), Coalición Nacional Contra el Tráfico Ilícito de Migrantes y la Trata de Personas (National Coalition Against the Illicit Trafficking of Migrants and Persons), Comisión Nacional Contra la Explotación Sexual Comercial (National Commission Against Sexual Exploitation for Commercial Purposes) and Costa Rican civil society organisations

ACHIEVEMENTS:

Held bilateral meetings with key players of the child protection system in order to create a solid network of partners, thus optimising the project’s opportunities for advancement thanks to shared knowledge and experiences

Opened a satellite office in San José and hired a local team to support the coordination and implementation of the project in the field

Collected data on the achievements and challenges of institutions in the fight against human trafficking, on the child protection system and in the training of safety and law enforcement agencies in various regions throughout the country Among the activities carried out: three discussion groups with police officers and multisectorial representatives; three thematic workshops aimed at gathering information on the perceptions and opinions of police officers, investigators, prosecutors, judges and other key players on human trafficking and children’s rights, but also to verify participants’ understanding of their role and challenges in protecting, preventing, investigating and prosecuting human trafficking cases; meetings with vulnerable children to obtain their opinions on the work being carried out by police and law enforcement .

Drafting of a report on local conditions to present our analysis of the current context and to help in the reinforcement of institutions fighting against human trafficking in Costa Rica (starting next year)