Latest update April 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jun 22, 2019 News
The Government has said it is pleased to acknowledge the release of the United States Department of State 2019 Trafficking in Persons Report.
“The Ministerial Task Force on Trafficking in Persons accepts the Tier 1 Placement and believes it is testament to the work of the Task Force, Guyana’s anti-trafficking units, non-governmental organizations, the general public through increased reporting and significant contributions made by partners beyond the shores of this Cooperative Republic, including the United States Department of State itself.”
Guyana’s Tier 1 placement in the most recent edition of the report makes the third straight year that the country’s efforts to combat the crime have been so recognized.
According to Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, however, the report which was released Thursday did include a number of recommendations for improvement.
Ramjattan is the Chairman of the Ministerial Task Force on Trafficking in Persons.
“The Government of Guyana intends to heed these as it has done for recommendations in past reports. Recommendations in the 2018 US TIP Report focused on victim services outside the capital and for males and children; increased investigations and prosecutions; finalization of victim identification procedures; more training for anti-trafficking in stakeholders, including diplomats; additional victim protection; and, case monitoring.”
The minister said that In this regard, the Task Force and other anti-trafficking entities locally will incorporate these recommendations in their 2019/2020 Work Plans.
“To this end, the Ministry of Social Protection’s Counter Trafficking in Persons Unit – a key Task Force member agency –- has since established a Victim Care Facility outside the capital along with a space for males to go along with already existing children spaces.
More investigations and prosecutions occurred with the Guyana Police Force Trafficking in Persons Unit – another key Task Force member – just about doubling its activities from the previous year 2017.”
According to Ramjattan, it should also be noted that in the first half of 2019, two individuals have been convicted on a combined eight charges – two for trafficking in persons, two for unlawfully withholding identification papers, which is another offence under the TIP Act, and the other four for related offences.
The period under review by the 2019 US TIP Report also saw 16 local training courses and sessions on trafficking in persons held with assistance from other Task Force member agencies and other key anti-trafficking stakeholders.
“These training courses benefitted a total of 446 local anti-trafficking officials, inclusive of frontline officials, diplomats, interpreters, Community Advocates, educators, civil society, medical practitioners among others, combining with the numerous awareness campaigns to increase the available information base on trafficking in persons in Guyana.”
Ramjattan said steady strides have also been made regarding the finalization of Standard Operating Procedures due to a collaborative project with the International Organization Migration and efforts to increase the level of security provided to victims during investigations and prosecutions are underway.
Ramjattan said calls to the hotline continue to be responded to, managed and recorded by the Ministry of Social Protection’s Counter-Trafficking in Persons Unit.
The member agencies of the Task Force include the Ministry of Social Protection; Guyana Police Force – Investigations, Immigration and Intelligence; Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, who also launched a Trafficking in Persons Unit in 2018; Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions; Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs; Ministry of Communities; Ministry of Natural Resources; Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Ministry of Education; Ministry of Legal Affairs; Indigenous Peoples’ Commission; Food for the Poor; Help and Shelter and Guyana Women Miners Organization.
“Each of these agencies has played a part in ensuring that Guyana maintained its Tier 1 status and the Task Force is very grateful for their commitment.
“Looking forward, I encourage the general public to continue its improved reporting on suspected occurrences of the crime, utilizing the following TIP Hotline numbers – 227-4083/623-5030 – and coming out in numbers to trafficking in awareness activities which would be held in commemoration of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons – July 30, 2019. “
Guyana and The Bahamas are the two CARICOM countries on Tier 1 of the US Department of State report.
It means that Guyana has taken steps to fight trafficking.
On Tier 2 are Antigua and Barbuda, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Lucia, St Maarten, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.
For the worrisome placement on Tier 2 watchlist are Barbados and Belize.
The US has taken action in the past by withholding donor funding for countries with poor classifications.
The report has included Saudi Arabia and Cuba to the list of worst offenders
Where is the BETTER MANAGEMENT/RENEGOTIATION OF THE OIL CONTRACTS you promised Jagdeo?
Apr 19, 2024
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