La Strada International Association

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
La Strada International
AbbreviationLSI
FormationOctober 2004
PurposePrevention of human trafficking
HeadquartersAmsterdam
Region served
Europe
Main organ
General Assembly
Websitelastradainternational.org

La Strada International (LSI) is an international NGO network addressing the trafficking of persons in Europe.[1][2][3]

Creation

La Strada International was created in October 2004, formalising an informal network that had existed since 1995. As of 2013, it included member organisations from Belarus, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Macedonia, Moldova, the Netherlands, Poland, and Ukraine[4] and an International Secretariat based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.[5] In each of the eight member countries the programme is implemented by independent human rights non-governmental organizations.[2]

Aims

LSI has an International Secretariat, whose main aims are information collection and research, with an online database for collating national-level data on individual cases and patterns of human trafficking; developing organisational capacity; and communicating in international organisations.[2]

Actions

In 2002, La Strada Ukraine,[6] together with the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) of Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), started a free national telephone hotline service in Ukraine for victims of human trafficking and for people planning on international travel and wanting advice on human trafficking risks.[3]

Networking

La Strada International is a member organisation of the NGO networks Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women, PICUM — the Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants and the Human Rights and Democracy Network.

In July 2010, LSI was granted consultative status by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). The consultative status gives LSI the ability to actively participate in the work of ECOSOC, as well as other bodies within the UN, such as the UN Secretariat. La Strada International will be allowed to consult with UN member states and discuss concerns and ideas within the field of human trafficking. LSI is also a member of OSCE Alliance Expert Coordination Team, the EU Fundamental Rights Agency Platform and has a participatory status with the Council of Europe.

LSI cooperates in anti-trafficking activities with EU and UN bodies. From 2009 to 2012 La Strada International, together with Anti-Slavery International implemented a three-year European project called "Comp.act". The aim of the project was to improve access to justice and guarantee compensation for trafficked people. The project received institutional support from the Council of Europe and OSCE/ODIHR.

In 2013, LSI began coordinating the La Strada NGO Platform, a network of 21 European (EU and non-EU) NGOs from 20 countries, working to address human trafficking, migration, labour rights, and sex work.

References

  1. ^ "La Strada International". Policy Commons.
  2. ^ a b c "LSI: Main Challenges in Addressing Trafficking in Persons in Europe". GAATW. 2013-11-14. Archived from the original on 2020-01-25. Retrieved 2022-04-16.
  3. ^ a b "First free national anti-trafficking hotline in Ukraine to start today". Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. 2002-11-18. Archived from the original on 2020-02-19. Retrieved 2022-04-16.
  4. ^ "La Strada International". HRDN - Human Rights and Democracy Network. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
  5. ^ "International La Strada Association". UNCAC Coalition. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
  6. ^ "La Strada Ukraine". La Strada International Association. 2021. Archived from the original on 2022-04-11. Retrieved 2022-04-16.