Round-table meeting on Serbia’s implementation of the recommendations from the third round of evaluation of the Anti-Trafficking Convention

Round-table Belgrade, Serbia 10 April 2025

Representatives of Serbian ministries, government agencies, and civil society organisations met in Belgrade on 10 April 2025 to discuss progress in implementing the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, based on the third evaluation report issued by the Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) and the related Committee of the Parties’ recommendation.

The Anti-Trafficking Division of the Council of Europe and Serbia's Ministry of the Interior co-organized the round-table meeting. The discussions were guided by insights from Ms. Petya Nestorova, Executive Secretary of GRETA at the Council of Europe, and Mr. Jan Van Dijk, consultant for the Council of Europe, whose experience in justice and victim protection added important nuance to the dialogue. Ms Petya Nestorova, Head of the Anti-Trafficking Division of the Council of Europe, noted the support that the Council of Europe has been providing to Serbia through the project “Strengthening anti-trafficking action in Serbia”, implemented within the joint programme of the European Union and the Council of Europe “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”.

The discussions focused on trafficking victims’ access to legal aid, compensation, and specialised assistance, measures to strengthen the criminal justice response to human trafficking and the protection of vulnerable victims, steps taken to combat trafficking for labour exploitation, and the prevention of child trafficking.

Our colleague, Jelena Hrnjak, participated not only on behalf of NGO Atina but also to reflect the views and voices of trafficking survivors, whose lived experiences should be central to shaping the systems and responses intended to support them.

Much work remains. Our efforts in the civil society sector continue, grounded in shared knowledge, calls for stronger partnerships, and a human rights-based approach. Only through consistent and collaborative action can meaningful change take place. 

Serbia is expected to report to the Committee of the Parties on the measures taken to comply with the third-round recommendation by 16 June 2025.