A/RES/57/176 Action Plan for the Asia-Pacific region of the Asian Regional Initiative against Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, 25 the initiatives of the European Union on a comprehensive European policy and programmes on trafficking in human beings, as expressed in the conclusions of the European Council at its meeting held at Tampere, Finland, on 15 and 16 October 1999, 26 and the activities of the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the International Organization for Migration in this field; 8. Calls upon all Governments to criminalize trafficking in women and children, in particular girls, in all its forms, to condemn and penalize all those offenders involved, including intermediaries, whether local or foreign, through the competent national authorities, either in the country of origin of the offender or in the country in which the abuse occurs, in accordance with due process of law, while ensuring that the victims of those practices are not penalized for being trafficked, and to penalize persons in authority found guilty of sexually assaulting victims of trafficking in their custody; 9. Invites Governments to consider setting up or strengthening a national coordinating mechanism, for example, a national rapporteur or an inter-agency body, with the participation of civil society, including non-governmental organizations, to encourage the exchange of information and to report on data, root causes, factors and trends in violence against women, in particular trafficking; 10. Encourages Governments and relevant United Nations bodies, within existing resources, to take appropriate measures to raise public awareness of the issue of trafficking, particularly in women and girls, as well as the laws, regulations and penalties relating to this issue, and to emphasize that trafficking is a crime, in order to reduce the demand for trafficked women and children; 11. Urges concerned Governments, in cooperation with intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, to support and allocate resources for programmes to strengthen preventive action, in particular education and campaigns to increase public awareness of the issue at the national and grass-roots levels; 12. Calls upon concerned Governments to allocate resources, as appropriate, to provide comprehensive programmes for the physical, psychological and social recovery of victims of trafficking, including through job training, legal assistance and health care, and by taking measures to cooperate with non-governmental organizations to provide for the social, medical and psychological care of the victims; 13. Encourages Governments, in cooperation with intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, to undertake campaigns aimed at clarifying opportunities, limitations and rights in the event of migration so as to enable women to make informed decisions and to prevent them from becoming victims of trafficking; 14. Also encourages Governments to intensify collaboration with nongovernmental organizations to develop and implement programmes for effective counselling, training and reintegration into society of victims of trafficking, and programmes that provide shelter and helplines to victims or potential victims; _______________ 25 See A/C.3/55/3, annex. See Tampere European Council, Presidency Conclusions (SN 200/99). Available on the Internet at www.europa.eu.int. 26 5