Answer by FI Govnmt Mar 2011 on question 2011-02

March 2011Finnish replies to the three questions:1. Why has the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitaition and Sexual Abuse not yet been signed and/or ratifiedCertain changes in the legislation are the precondition for joining and ratifying the treaty. The Finnish Government has submitted a proposal to this effect (HE 282/2010) to Parliament in December 2010. The Legal Affairs Committee is now finalizing its Report so that the matter can be handled in plenary session still before the end of this legislature in April 2011. The rest then consists of mere technicalities, which will take about half a year. Hence Finland is going to be full member of the Convention by the end of autumn 2011.2. How are judges, lawyers, prosecutors, police and immigration authorities trained to identify and assist victims of trafficking?The Ministry of Justice, The Ministry of the Interior and the Steering Group coordinating action emanating from the Governmental Action Program against Trafficking have been organizing various kinds of training events aimed at judges, prosecutors, immigration officials, police, frontier guards, officials working in shelters for immigrants as well as working place inspectors. This has been done in co-operation with the Ombudsman for Minorities who is the reporting authority for Trafficking in Human Beings. Also representatives of NGOs have been involved. In near future training aimed at advocates will be organized.Since May 2010 a web-site (www humantrafficking.fi) functions as a manual where all the relevant training material and essential information and instructions to authorities dealing with trafficking issues can be found.3. Has the police participated together with the police in other Baltic Sea States in joint investigation teams concerning trafficking? If so, what is the experience from such cooperation?? If not, what is the reason?So far, no joint investigation teams have been set up. The number of cases under the specific label of crimes involving trafficking in human beings has been low. JITs are usually set up in connection with large and complicated issues involving cross-border criminal activities.