Fighting Trafficking in Human Beings – regardless of how it presents and the nature of its actions – is our common duty as professionals and as citizens under the Rule of Law, for whom the priority must always be to uphold Human Rights.

The Observatory on Trafficking in Human Beings (OTSH) was established (Decree-law no. 229/2008, 27 November) in order to fight the opacity which characterises the trafficking in human beings phenomenon and thus, through a better understanding, contribute to better forms of intervention regarding prevention, protection and prosecution.

Set in the framework of the 1st National Plan against Trafficking  in Human Beings (2007-2010), the Observatory is the outcome of a broader history of interventions, of  national and transnational scope, in which the Ministry of Internal  Affairs has always been active, working in partnership and demonstrating its commitment towards anti-trafficking strategies.

The mission of the Observatory is… to produce, collect, analyse and disseminate information and knowledge about the trafficking in human beings phenomenon and other forms of gender violence.

The vision of the Observatory is… to become a national and international reference centre that will contribute to the analysis, knowledge and intervention on trafficking in human beings and other forms of gender violence.