Ministers’ Deputies

Notes on the Agenda

CM/Notes/917/4.3   1 March 2005[1]

———————————————

917 Meeting, 2 March 2005
4 Human rights

4.3 Ad hoc Committee on action against trafficking in human beings (CAHTEH)

a. Abridged report of the 8th meeting (Strasbourg, 22-25 February 2005)

b. Draft Council of Europe convention on action against trafficking in human beings

Reference documents
CM/Del/Dec(2005)916/1.3, CM(2005)32 and Addenda 1 and 2

———————————————

Action Following the discussion at the 916th meeting, to carry out a preliminary examination of the abridged report of the 8th CAHTEH meeting, as well as of the draft Council of Europe Convention on action against trafficking in human beings and of the draft explanatory report relating thereto (CM(2005)32-Add 1 and 2).

1.         It is recalled that at the 916th meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies (23 February 2005), the Secretary General underlined, in the framework of his communication, the difficulties encountered in the negotiations on the draft Council of Europe convention on action against trafficking in human beings. He referred in particular to the provisions relating to the setting up of the convention’s monitoring mechanism.

2.         Consequently, the Deputies agreed to add an item to the agenda of their present meeting, in order to consider this question in the light of the text of the draft convention, as finalised by the Ad hoc Committee on action against trafficking in human beings (CAHTEH).

a. Abridged report of the 8th meeting of the CAHTEH (Strasbourg, 22-25 February 2005)

3.         The CAHTEH held its 8th meeting in Strasbourg from 22 to 25 February 2005.  The abridged report of this meeting appears in document CM(2005)32.

4.         During this meeting, the CAHTEH:

4.1        examined Opinion No 253 (2005) of the Parliamentary Assembly on the draft Council of Europe convention on action against trafficking in human beings and adapted the draft accordingly;

4.2        agreed to submit for decision by the Committee of Ministers the following questions:

● in view of its importance and of the fact that it is currently under discussion in the European Community, the Parliamentary Assembly's proposed amendment concerning the recovery and reflection period (for this to be a minimum of 30 days), which was unable to obtain, in the CAHTEH, the majority required for it to be approved;

● the proposals presented by the European Community, represented by the Commission of the European Communities.

These proposed amendments in their entirety appear in the footnotes to the draft convention as transmitted to the Committee of Ministers (CM(2005)32-Add 1);

4.3        concluded the examination of the draft explanatory report (CM(2005)32-Add 2).

5.         All the points discussed and decisions taken appear in the abridged report of the 8th meeting of the CAHTEH (CM(2005)32), of which the Committee of Ministers is invited to take note.  The Deputies might wish to carry out a preliminary examination of this report at their present meeting.

b. Draft Council of Europe convention on action against trafficking in human beings

6.         Taking account of the above and of the views expressed at their 916th meeting (23 February 2005), the Deputies are invited to carry out a preliminary examination of the draft Council of Europe convention on action against trafficking in human beings (CM(2005)32-Add 1) and of the draft explanatory report relating thereto (CM(2005)32-Add 2).

Financing assured: YES

DRAFT DECISIONS

917th meeting – 2 March 2005

Item 4.3

Ad hoc Committee on action against trafficking in human beings (CAHTEH)

a. Abridged report of the 8th meeting (Strasbourg, 22-25 February 2005)

b. Draft Council of Europe convention on action against trafficking in human beings

(CM/Del/Dec(2005)916/1.3, CM(2005)32 and Addenda 1 and 2)

Decision

The Deputies agreed to resume consideration of this item at their 919th meeting (16 March 2005).