Azernews.Az

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Office in Baku on Thursday signed a grant agreement to cooperate on combating human trafficking in Azerbaijan.

Michael Greene, USAID Mission Director in Azerbaijan, and Koray Targay, Head of OSCE Office in Baku, signed the $730,000 agreement for the period from October 2011 to September 2013.

Under the grant, USAID will support the OSCE’s efforts in the security and justice sectors on combating human trafficking and improving access to justice. The activities will improve coordination and capacity among government and non-governmental actors in assisting victims of trafficking and forced labor, and train media to report on this topic. The grant also will strengthen access to justice, and fund Legal Resource Centers in the Shaki and Lankaran regions to provide free legal assistance and information to the public.

US Ambassador Matthew Bryza and the Head of the Anti-Trafficking Unit at Azerbaijan’s Interior Ministry Javad Shikhaliyev also attended the ceremony.

Bryza told attendees that the grant shows that, "The United States, in cooperation with the OSCE, is committed to helping our Azerbaijani partners combat this modern-day form of slavery."

He added that the OSCE Office in Baku will implement the activities funded by the grant in cooperation with the Azerbaijani government and civil society, which will contribute significantly to combating trafficking in persons in Azerbaijan.

Head of the OSCE Office Koray Targay said USAID’s support for these two projects will enable the government of Azerbaijan improve its compliance with OSCE commitments.

"Advancement in the security and justice sectors can help Azerbaijan build on the success of its recent development in the energy sector to create a hospitable environment for pluralistic democracy, human rights and economic prosperity for many years to come," Targay said.