On 18th October 2013 the Lithuanian Presidency and the European Commission organised the Seventh EU Anti-Trafficking Day in Vilnius. The conference aimed to explore the links between the Internet and trafficking in human beings and to improve cooperation between Member States.
At the same time, the Internet can also serve as a powerful tool for investigation, prosecution, prevention, protection and victim assistance activities. In order to fight organised crime groups more effectively, online technology can provide relevant tools for international investigations and prosecutions. The Internet can be used as an important medium for more targeted awareness raising campaigns and prevention activities. Social networks, web pages and blogs have a great potential to widely disseminate information, especially among young people.
The conference was opened by Dailis Alfonsas Barakauskas, Minister of Interior of the Republic of Lithuania and Myria Vassiliadou, EU Anti Trafficking Coordinator. Following the opening statements, a leading academic, Professor Donna Hughes of Rhode Island University delivered a keynote address. The conference consisted of three main sessions, where participants could discuss the role of the Internet in human trafficking and could broaden their knowledge on online awareness raising, online investigation and online recruitment.