MINISTER of Human Services and Social Security, Jennifer Webster, announced Wednesday that her ministry will establish a safe house for victims of trafficking in persons (TIP), even as the new US Embassy Charge d’Affaires has noted that this year the Guyana Government has made significant advances and delivered a strong blow to human traffickers.

“The administration of the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security intends to erect a shelter specifically to house victims of trafficking in persons,” Minister Webster disclosed, saying that the government will provide accommodation for TIP victims and their families, and provide life skills training opportunities as it seeks to empower them and help them in continuing to improve their quality of life.
Webster was addressing the opening ceremony for a TIP Training of Trainers Workshop held Wednesday morning at the Guyana International Conference Centre at Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown.
The workshop is a three-day event which is expected to train some fifty trainers in identifying and combating TIP. The event is being sponsored by the United Nations Development Program and the International Organisation for Migration in collaboration with the Government of Guyana.
In her address, she urged participants to be more proactive in the fight against TIP, saying that they should focus their energies on gathering intelligence on instances of TIP in their communities.
“We must not be naive to think that traffickers are persons who by their main resolve do not use innovative methods to lure victims,” Webster said, while emphasising that participants need to be the ears and eyes on the ground.
THREE CONVICTIONS
Remarking on the efforts the government has made so far, Webster noted that her ministry has held many workshops to raise awareness of human trafficking, and she noted that these have reached some 2,000 persons already. She indicated, too, that of the six reports of TIP the ministry has received, so far there have been three convictions of human traffickers.
Trafficking in persons constitutes a serious threat to human rights, human dignity, Webster warned, declaring: “The Government of Guyana will spare no effort to ensure that any reports of trafficking in persons are thoroughly investigated and perpetrators brought to justice.”
At the same forum, Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Georgetown, Bryan Hunt, hailed the efforts of the Government of Guyana in combating TIP, saying: “This year, the Government of Guyana has made significant advances and delivered a strong blow to human traffickers.”
Hunt paid recognition to the outreach activities being conducted by Webster’s ministry, pointing in particular to the awareness workshops held in the Rupununi during the April rodeo festivities, as well as to a similar undertaking the ministry organised in Region 1 last month.
“When we stop this crime from happening in the first place, we are preventing the abuse of those who are victimised as well as the ripple effect that causes damage throughout communities,” Hunt declared.
RULE OF LAW
The US Embassy official saluted the government’s successful prosecution of an Essequibo disco downer in June as well a couple in August on charges of human trafficking, saying: “A strong message was sent when traffickers were brought to justice and convicted.”
“Guyana’s work to continue to investigate and prosecute those involved in human trafficking is something that we should all applaud,” he emphasised, adding: “When we prosecute traffickers, we strengthen the rule of law and set a higher standard for ourselves and our communities.”
However, he indicated that the country must continue to find ways to prevent those who are being recruited into human trafficking from becoming victims, explaining that continued programmes to “raise the socio-economic status, to provide work training and life skills to those most at risk is a critical part of any effective trafficking programme.” Hunt nevertheless applauded the progress the government has made in this regard.