Problems of harmonising the national legislation of the Central Asian States with international standards for combating human trafficking

The aim of the study was to analyse the degree to which the national legislation of the Central Asian states complies with international norms and standards on combating human trafficking. The research used systemic, formal-legal and comparative-legal methods, which ensured a comprehensive examination of international legal standards and national mechanisms for countering human trafficking. It was established that all countries have formally implemented the triad of elements “act – means – purpose of exploitation” enshrined in the Palermo Protocol, yet the level of institutional implementation of the standards differs significantly. It was found that the most comprehensive model of counteraction has been created in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, where national commissions and victim protection mechanisms operate, whereas in Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, despite the existence of basic regulatory acts, the system of measures for victim protection is characterised by fragmentation and insufficient institutional coordination, which limits the effectiveness of the practical implementation. The study established that the effectiveness of national legislation in the field of combating human trafficking in the Central Asian states differs substantially depending on the degree of institutional cohesion and the quality of victim identification procedures. In Kazakhstan, the number of officially registered victims remains at the level of about two dozen cases annually, whereas in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan it increased by more than 50% in 2021-2023, which reflects heightened institutional sensitivity and improved inter-agency coordination. At the same time, the analysis revealed a low level of “conversion” of identified cases into criminal prosecution – only 10-20% of cases reach the courts, which indicates the need to strengthen the integration of the processes of identification, protection, and justice. The findings of the research can be used to optimise national mechanisms for identifying and protecting victims of human trafficking, including the development of standardised protocols for inter-agency cooperation and the integration of data into official statistics