Article 4.a of the Council of Europe Convention states: “‘Trafficking in human beings’ shall mean the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs”. Article 4.c specifies that, “The recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of a child for the purpose of exploitation shall be considered ‘trafficking in human beings’ even if this does not involve any of the means set forth in subparagraph (a) of this Article”. Thus, “trafficking in human beings” is defined as the recruitment, transport, transfer, accommodation or receipt of persons (adults or children or both);

• in the case of adults, by means of threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of ulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person; • in the case of children, it refers to the recruitment, transport, transfer, accommodation or receipt of children, whether or not any such abusive means are used. In both cases (of adult and children), it is for the purpose of exploitation, which includes the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs.