Azerbaijan, Baku, Sept. 29/ Trend N. Ismayilova/
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the OSCE office in Baku signed on Thursday a grant agreement to cooperate on combating the human trafficking and strengthening the access to justice in Azerbaijan.
USAID Azerbaijan Mission Head Michael Greene and OSCE Baku office head, Ambassador Koray Targay undersigned the agreement.
Under the grant agreement, USAID will support the OSCE's efforts in the security and justice sectors on combating the human trafficking and improving access to justice. The activities will improve coordination and capacity among governmental and non-governmental actors in assisting victims of trafficking and forced labor, and train media to report on this topic.
"Our cooperation in fighting against human trafficking will happen with the ministry of internal affairs, civil society and also with journalists. There is already strong cooperation between the U.S. and Azerbaijani governments in fighting this form of personal slavery and this grant will help us strengthen and accelerate this cooperation," U.S. Ambassador to Baku Matthew Bryza said on Wednesday following the signing ceremony.
The grant will also strengthen access to justice, fund legal resource centers in Sheki and Lankaran and provide free legal assistance and information to the public. The grant agreement worth $730,000 will finance these activities from October 2011 to September 2013.