SOME 37 frontline officials recently completed a trafficking in persons training course organised by the Ministerial Task Force on Trafficking in Persons (TIP).The course, which began on December 13, saw participants from several of Guyana’s administrative regions representing entities that included the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), Guyana Police Force’s Criminal Investigation and Immigration Departments, Guyana Defence Force (GDF), ministries of Public Security, Social Protection, and Foreign Affairs, as well as the Community Policing entity.

The two-day training programme was aimed at equipping local stakeholders with information on the nature of the crime of TIP; functions of the Task Force; services available locally; how to identify, assist and refer victims; and best practices for investigating the crime.

Additionally, the course was geared at creating a network for exchange among frontline officers and other stakeholders in different regions of Guyana who may come into contact with potential cases of trafficking in persons; as well as to garner information to make the Task Force operationally more effective and efficient.

The Ministerial Task Force on TIP intends to target other entities — including the judiciary, media, and the general public — in its coordination of similar training courses and implementation of sensitisation initiatives, as it seeks to increase the effectiveness of the Government’s efforts to tackle the scourge, a statement from the Ministry of Public Security said on Monday.

“The Task Force remains committed to collaborating with all stakeholders, local and international, in combating trafficking in persons in Guyana; and wishes to extend its gratitude to INTERPOL; the United States Embassy; Task Force member agencies and departments: the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission and the Ministry of Social Protection’s Counter-Trafficking in Persons Unit, for their contributions to ensuring the success of the trafficking in persons’ training course for frontline officials, and their unwavering support in the overall fight against trafficking in persons in Guyana.”

Ms. Tanisha Williams-Corbin, Coordinator (ag) of the Counter-Trafficking in Persons Unit, Ministry of Social Protection, opened the training course with a presentation on the definition of trafficking in persons, and presided over the interactive case study exercises.

Oliver Profitt, Coordinator (ag.) of the technical arm of the Ministerial Task Force on TIP, highlighted the Task Force’s functions, activities and plans; while Task Force member Neil Bacchus, Chief Executive Officer of the Indigenous Peoples Commission, presented on the role of the Commission in the fight against human trafficking.

Additionally, presentations on victim identification, referral and assistance training and investigative skills training for human trafficking investigations were also delivered by Inspector Fiona Harris of the Guyana Police Force’s Immigration Department and W/Constable 21232 Ranata Mc Bean of the Guyana Police Force’s Criminal Investigations Department’s Major Crimes Unit, based on information received through training from

INTERPOL.
Officers of the Guyana Police Force benefited in October from INTERPOL training in combating trafficking in persons. INTERPOL was at the time in the training phase of its project to combat human trafficking and migrant smuggling in the Caribbean.

A number of Caribbean Governments have been collaborating with INTERPOL with the aim of improving the Caribbean’s institutional capacity to combat trafficking in persons.

In April, 2016, the Ministerial Task Force on Trafficking in Persons welcomed INTERPOL to Guyana for a Trafficking in Persons Needs Assessment. This needs assessment, along with corresponding activities conducted in other Caribbean countries, has given rise to a series of training courses for officers who work in combating trafficking in persons in Guyana and the rest of the Caribbean, the Government Information Agency (GINA) had reported.