Trafficking in Persons… New procedures to take victim-centered approach

Dec 12, 2019 News

With the aim of strengthening Guyana’s technical capacity to combat Trafficking in Persons and assisting victims of trafficking, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in collaboration with Ministerial Task Force on Trafficking in Persons (MT-TIP) yesterday launched the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Investigating of Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Cases at the Guyana Police Force Training Centre.

“Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan, MP”

Presenting the feature address, Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, indicated that the launch of the SOP is part of a greater effort to build capacity among key stakeholders to ensure that the rights of the victims are emphasised in the combat of the crime.
He stated that procedure will ensure all persons involved in the investigation and prosecution of Trafficking in Persons will be guided by procedures that represent the best practices and guidelines.
Ramjattan highlighted “that it is important that we prepare ourselves not to be influenced, not to have a society that is going to be damaged by the Traffickers.”
He asserted that with the coming of oil and gas, Guyana will be a magnet for persons involved in Trafficking in Persons. Hence, the SOP will allow Guyana to align to a regime that is more advanced than what is presently used.
He further thanked the United states Department for successfully funding the procedures and employing a regional expert.
During the launch, Project Manager, Counter-Trafficking IOM, Mr. Oliver Profit, highlighted that he believes that the procedures will be a key addition to the local framework for responding to cases of human trafficking in Guyana.
According to Ms. Diana Shaw, Attorney-at-law and Legal Consultant, the procedures are taking a victim-centered approach as it relates to investigation and prosecution.
She stated that the procedures expressed promote “putting the person who has been disempowered, who has been disenfranchised by Trafficking in Persons at the center of our intervention to ensure that we build strong cases.”
Shaw further highlighted that the procedures are supported by a “Protection SOP” and therefore builds a framework of collaboration while emphasising the role of the law enforcement agencies responsible for investigation. She also emphasised the role of NGOs, Civil Societies in the implementation of the SOP in ensuring it is victim centered.
Chief Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire, stated that the launch can be seen as further evidence of Guyana’s ongoing commitment in ensuring that Trafficking in Persons is dealt with in a comprehensive manner.
Calling it a “modern form of slavery”, the Chief Justice asserted that as a key stakeholder, the Judicial Education Institute of Guyana held its first conference on Trafficking in Persons on September 20, 2019, acknowledging the crucial role that the Judicial System plays in combating a matter of serious concern for the country.
January to November 2019, the Ministerial Task Force on Trafficking in Persons (MT-TIP) investigated 18 suspected cases of TIP which included 138 alleged victims and 50 suspects.
This resulted in eight convictions. Additionally, all the victims were females and Region four accounted for 87% of these cases.

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