COATNET (initially “Catholic Organisations Against Trafficking in Women”) began in April 2001 on the initiative of Caritas Europa to emphasise the trans-national dimension of human trafficking. This two-year project was started by 5 European Catholic organisations - IN VIA Berlin, Caritas Ukraine, Caritas Czech Republic, Caritas Switzerland and Missing Persons’ Families’ Support Centre from Lithuania (with mandate from Caritas Lithuania), – and implemented with financial assistance and coordination of Caritas Germany.

The project aimed at networking and cooperation development through mutual information exchange and general awareness raising. Its partners, with various development level of counter-trafficking national programmes, shared best practices, providing capacity building to each other, and raised awareness on trafficking phenomenon, offering specific country information to the general public. To this end, a thematic web site and extranet portal - a tool for internal communication – were developed.

In 2002 COATNET entered a new phase, with some of the initial COATNET members, new members from Caritas Organisations, various specialised anti-trafficking organizations and CCME member organisations’ participation in the CAT Project (Christian Action and Networking against Trafficking in Women), supported by the EU Commission. CAT project activities complemented to COATNET objectives, with the relevant study visit activities, thematic conferences and workshops taking place during two years. Accordingly, the COATNET communication platform had been opened to a wider scope of partners (more than 20), which facilitated communication and cooperation within the network, brought more international visibility, acknowledgement and support to Christian actions in the field, made the Network less virtual and also brought financial support. COATNET grew to become the Network of Christian Organisations Against Trafficking in Women.

COATNET contributed to partners relevant grass root activities development, strengthening of mutually shared understanding of Christian commitment in the field of combating trafficking in women, and growing of a well defined and comprehensive position, which has been promoted in a number of relevant position papers, conference presentations, and revealed in advocacy actions (e.g. participation at the EU Experts` Group on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings). This all created a request by COATNET partners for a support of Caritas Europa to further develop such a commitment in the official paper of “Caritas Europa Commitment on Combating Trafficking in Women”, which was approved in December 2003.

At the meeting of COATNET partners in 2003, a request to support COATNET continuity and take a legal responsibility over the Network, to help develop a simple and clear management structure, make it more operational was formed to Caritas Europa Executive Board. A structural model with a clear authority of Caritas Europa Executive Board, supervision of the Migration Commission and COATNET decision making body (Steering Group) won the support of then current COATNET partners as a model for a new COATNET structure.

COATNET objectives and activities were elaborated then according to the Caritas Europa Commitment Paper on Combating Trafficking in Women, a clear procedure for joining the network was established, Coordinating Officer duties described, and Steering Group composition agreed on. As of January 2004, Caritas Europa officially took the legal responsibility over COATNET, having considered and approved request made by COATNET users.

Back to top