THE recent US State Department report, which underscored that Guyana remains among countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom whose governments fully meet the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA)’s minimum standards, has been welcomed again by many after years of being condemned to lower tiers.

It is the third year since the Coalition Government took office that it has been able to escape the wrath of the report, owing to the significant improvements that have been made in the fight against human trafficking, and the administration’s efforts at suppressing it. Only last week a businesswoman was jailed for human trafficking, and many others, in recent times, have been either convicted or prosecuted for such crimes.

Hardly would anyone forget this country’s experiences over the years prior to the Coalition Government coming into office, from being on the Tier 2 watch list to the then administration lashing out at the United States for its yearly assessments. Fighting human trafficking, like any other crime, requires, among other things, political will, which is often measured by the resources made available to tackle the scourge and the deployment of those resources, both human and material, to address the issue.

Reacting to being placed on Tier 1, Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan was quoted as saying he believes that the ranking is testament to the work of the Task Force, Guyana’s anti-trafficking units, non-governmental organisations, 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. He said, “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; finalisation of victim identification procedures; more training on anti-trafficking for stakeholders, including diplomats; additional victim protection; and case monitoring.”

According to the report, the APNU+AFC government maintained law enforcement efforts during the reporting period, and to this end, the report reminded that the Combating Trafficking of Persons Act of 2005 criminalized sex trafficking and labour trafficking, and prescribed penalties of three years to life imprisonment. It was noted that such penalties were sufficiently stringent during the reporting period, and with respect to sex trafficking, commensurate with those prescribed for other serious crimes such as rape. It said that the Ministry of Social Protection was the lead agency responsible for coordinating trafficking efforts, overseeing the Anti-Trafficking Unit (ATU), and participating in the government’s Ministerial Task Force on Trafficking in Persons (the Task Force).

It was noted that in 2018, the government reported 30 new investigations; prosecuted 11 suspected traffickers, two of whom were initiated in prior periods. It noted, too, that the authorities convicted one trafficker for sex trafficking compared with four investigations and 17 prosecutions, 12 of which were initiated in prior periods, and two convictions in 2017.

In terms of the prevention of trafficking, the report said that government increased its efforts in this regard. Over the years, many TIP victims were discovered by the authorities in mining areas in the hinterland, and the report made mention of the establishment of an anti-trafficking unit with three trained staff within the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) to register and categorise workers in the interior, and conduct spontaneous checks. It was pointed out, too, that the government approved a new national action plan for 2019, but did not report on activities under the plan by the end of the reporting period and it was noted that the

These achievements have clearly shown that government has not only talked the talk, but has delivered Guyana from the depths of ignominy to one where its leaders and citizens can indeed celebrate the achievement. It now has to maintain this ranking and take steps towards correcting the deficiencies that remain, which include vigorously investigating, prosecuting, and convicting traffickers, including complicit officials and those responsible for domestic servitude and child-sex trafficking, as well as prioritising the implementation of a national anti-trafficking action plan with allocated resources, and increasing long-term funding for trafficking victim assistance.

Some of these recommendations have been made over the years by various persons and groups, including TIP hero, Simona Broomes, Minister of Youth Affairs. Significantly, too, the report also states, “Guyana continues to be seen as a source and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to sex-trafficking and forced labour. Women and children from Guyana, Brazil, The Dominican Republic, Suriname, and Venezuela are subjected to sex-trafficking in mining communities in the interior and urban areas.” This is certainly a label Guyana would not want to carry for much longer, and we can only hope that these recommendations would be seriously taken on board, even as we work to totally eradicate the scourge of human trafficking.