The Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus adopted the draft amendments and additions to the law on countering human trafficking, BelTA reported. Belarusian Interior Minister Igor Shunevich explained that the amendments supplement the previously adopted law on Belarus’ accession to the Council of Europe Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings.
      “Belarus is the only state that has acceded to the convention while not a member of the Council of Europe, as we have been coming forward with international initiatives in this area from long ago,” Igor Shunevich noted.
       The provisions of the adopted draft law harmonize the law on countering human trafficking with the protocol to prevent and suppress trafficking in persons that, in turn, supplements the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime.