(ForUm) - A solemn ceremony of awarding persons for merits in combating human trafficking was held in Kyiv on Thursday. The ceremony was attended by Queen Silvia of Sweden and her daughter Princess Madeleine, who were paying official visit to Ukraine, and Ukrainian First Lady Kateryna Yushchenko, reports Trend.
In his opening speech International Organization for Migration Head of Mission to Ukraine Jeffrey Labovitz stressed that since 2000 the organization has aided more than 3.000 Ukrainians, who suffered from human trafficking. The victims returned home from more than 50 countries with the IOM assistance. Almost 48 percent of them returned from Russia, Turkey and Poland.
As Chairperson of the Supervisory Board of the International Charitable Fund "Ukraine 3000" Kateryna Yushchenko stressed, Ukrainian women must feel the perspective of getting quality education and worthy employment. In her opinion, the danger of becoming "human commodity" will exist while there is a demand. Thus, countries, which are sources for this "commodity" supply, must do their best to decrease the demand and abandon even the idea of such a barbaric violation of fundamental rights and freedoms.
Talking about the number of victims of human trafficking, we should also think about the millions of children, who are endangered to become the victims as well; we must satisfy the needs of children in their own environment, Queen of Sweden Silvia, who founded the International Childhood Foundation with a view of aiding unfortunate children, stated in her turn.
The event was jointly organized by the International Organization for Migration Mission to Ukraine and the United States Agency for International Development.