Answer by NO Govnmt Feb 2011 on question 2011-01

Norwegian answers to questions to governments concerningtraffickingBSPC Working Group on Civil Security1. Why has the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitationand Sexual Abuse (CETS No.: 210 (2007)) not yet been signed and/or ratified?The Norwegian minister of Justice, Mr Knut Storberget, gave an answer to this question in November2010 where he states that the ratification is connected to the implementation of the new Norwegianpenal code. This process takes time due to the work of upgrading the computer systems of the Police.If this process drags out in time, the minister will consider changing the current penal code in accordancewith the Council of Europe Convention in order to facilitate Norwegian ratification. (The minister repeatedthis answer in Parliament on 8 February 2011).2. How are judges, lawyers, prosecutors, police and immigration authorities trained to identify and assistvictims of trafficking?There is no formalized training for judges or lawyers on victims of trafficking. The Directorate of Policeand the Coordination Unit for Victims of Trafficking (KOM) organizes various trainings on the identificationof victims. KOM has organized large national seminars the last years, where both police officers, childwelfare workers, asylum reception personnel and others attend.3. Has the police participated together with the police in other Baltic Sea States in joint investigationteams concerning trafficking? If so, what is the experience from such cooperation? If not, what is thereason?Norwegian police have carried out several trafficking investigations with connections to other Baltic SeaStates. Such investigations have been undertaken by agreement on a case-by-case basis, not as formallyestablished joint investigative bodies. The Nordic police cooperation agreement simplifies investigationswithin the five Nordic countries. There has not been any evaluation of the investigations that have beencarried out. Many recent cases have involved Lithuania, and the police report that the cooperation withthis country is working well. This however, does not mean that is always is easy to get foreign partnersto give the desired priority to their part of investigations, but this can also be the case between policedistricts in national cooperation. Available resources and legal systems are not the same in the countriesin the region, a fact that must be taken into account.