The 36th meeting of the Committee of the Parties to the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings took place on 20 June 2025, in Strasbourg and online. On the basis of GRETA’s reports, the Committee adopted recommendations concerning Liechtenstein and Ukraine as part of the third evaluation round of the Convention, and Albania, Austria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Republic of Moldova and the Slovak Republic as part of the fourth evaluation round of the Convention.
During the meeting, the Committee elected Ambassador Sini Paukkunen-Mykkänen (Finland) as Chair for a first term of office of one year and Ambassador Agnese Vilde (Latvia) as Vice-Chair for a first term of office of one year.

The 54th plenary meeting of GRETA  took place from 30 June to 4 July 2025, in Strasbourg. GRETA adopted final reports on Bulgaria, Denmark, Georgia, Montenegro and Romania, and approved draft reports on Latvia, Malta and the United Kingdom as part of the fourth evaluation round of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. 

GRETA’s 2024 report marked 15 years of monitoring the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, highlighting progress and ongoing challenges. In 2024, GRETA evaluated 13 States Parties, and published 12 country reports (concerning Andorra, Aruba/Kingdom of the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Monaco, San Marino, Switzerland and Türkiye).

The Council of Europe Anti-Trafficking Division has launched a new human trafficking case-law database within HUDOC-GRETA. The database provides legal professionals, policymakers, NGOs and researchers with case-law from States Parties to the Council of Europe Anti-Trafficking Convention, offering flexible search options.

The high-level conference “Empowering Change: Technology and Artificial Intelligence in the Fight against Human Trafficking” took place under the Maltese Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. It brought together experts, policymakers, civil society actors and business representatives to explore how emerging technologies can support efforts to prevent human trafficking, protect victims, and prosecute perpetrators- while upholding human rights. Through panel discussions and interactive workshops, participants focused on the ethical use of artificial intelligence (AI), securing digital evidence, and fostering cross-sectoral partnerships to strengthen the global response to trafficking in human beings.

The joint Council of Europe/EU project “Improving the support services for child victims of trafficking in Austria” (2025-2026) was officially launched on 28 February 2025 in Vienna. It aims to improve the system for identification, assistance and protection of child victims of trafficking in human beings in Austria. The project is co-funded by the European Union via the Technical Support Instrument and the Council of Europe, and implemented by the Council of Europe, in co-operation with the European Commission.

Recent activities under the Council of Europe’s anti-trafficking project in Bosnia and Herzegovina focused on strengthening institutional capacities and victim support.. Workshops held in Buna and Jahorina enhanced the knowledge of 51 judicial and law enforcement professionals on victims’ rights, compensation, and financial investigations. A training-of-trainers session in Bjelašnica equipped prosecutors, police and social workers with trauma-informed interviewing skills, culminating in a mock trial and certification of 14 participants. The project also supported the development of anti-trafficking action plans in three cantons and hosted a study visit for US law students on human rights and trafficking legislation.

In North Macedonia, under the project “Strengthening anti-trafficking action”, 40 lawyers were trained on access to free legal aid and compensation for victims. The project supported the State Compensation Commission through capacity-building and the dissemination of multilingual awareness materials. A campaign on labour exploitation reached approximately 150,000 users across social media and email platforms.