Trafficking in Human Beings within and into Sweden: Efforts to Prevent and Combat Human Trafficking

ISDP FORUM ON TRANSNATIONAL CRIME with Kajsa Wahlberg

Detective Inspector of the Department for Police Affairs,National Police Board in Sweden.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010, 12:00-14:00

Kajsa Wahlberg is going to describe the situation on trafficking in human beings (THB) within and into Sweden and our efforts to prevent and combat this type of crime. An important guideline for this  work is the UN Anti-trafficking Protocol 2000 which underlines the fact that parties to the Protocol shall adopt legislative or other measures in order to discourage the demand for services from THB. Swedish penal legislation is not only directed against the traffickers and the pimps, but also against the people who demand women and children for sexual exploitation; the buyers of sexual services.

Kajsa Wahlberg is detective inspector at the Department for Police Affairs within the National Police Board in Sweden. Since 1998 she has served as “National Rapporteur”, on behalf of the National Police Board, following a joint declaration of the European Union. One of her duties is to collect and process information about trafficking in Sweden and between Sweden and other countries. Her tasks include studying the prevention and combatment of this type of trafficking. It is the responsibility of the National Police Board to give an annual account of the results to the Government. Until now she has  submitted 10 annual situation reports to the Swedish Government. The National Police Board has been instructed to co-operate with Interpol, Europol, national authorities and voluntary organizations with respect to these issues.

Since 1999, she has  taken part in THB expert meetings within Europol, Interpol, OSCE, the STOP programs and the Task Force on Organized Crime in the Baltic Sea Region. Kajsa Wahlberg was also a member of a commission analyzing Sweden’s ratification of the European Council Convention against Trafficking in Human Beings which includes a non punishment clause. This commission also conducted an overview of the Swedish THB legislation. The commission delivered its report on April 22, 2008. In 2007 she was a member of another commission that prepared a proposal for the Swedish government regarding a National Action Plan referring to THB regarding labor exploitation. Since 2008 Ms. Wahlberg has been a member of the  Group of Experts on Trafficking in Human Beings.

Location: ISDP, Västra Finnbodavägen 2, Stockholm-Nacka. For a map and directions, please go here.

To attend: RSVP to Ms. Martina Klimesova at mklimesova@isdp.eu