Nordic Ministers of Justice strengthen cooperation against human trafficking

The Nordic Ministers of Justice met in Norway on Monday within the framework of the Nordic Council of Ministers, the official body for inter-governmental cooperation in the Nordic Region.

This was the first physical meeting for the ministers in three years, where the Faroe Islands and Greenland were also represented, the Norwegian Ministry of Justice and Public Security writes in a press release.

The main topic of the meeting was human trafficking, and the ministers decided to establish a working group against human trafficking.

The group will form a framework for the exchange of knowledge and experience, and it will take initiatives at the Nordic level to strengthen efforts against human trafficking, according to a press release from the Finnish Ministry of Justice.

“The people in the Nordic countries believe that the fight against cross-border crime is the most important area for Nordic co-operation, according to a survey by the Nordic Council and the Nordic Council of Ministers. When it comes to human trafficking, it is assumed that the growing international tension and the war in Ukraine as well as climate change, will further increase refugee flows and the risk of human trafficking in the Nordic region”, says Finland's Minister of Justice Anna-Maja Henriksson (SFP).

The ministers also discussed cybercrime, gang related offenses and sexual offenses.