National Plan of Action for the Elimination of Human Trafficking in Ghana
Report
Highlights
Human trafficking or trafficking in persons (TIP) is modern-day slavery. It is an unpardonable crime and a grave violation of human rights. Though figures vary, it is estimated that every year, millions of men, women and children are trafficked in countries around the world. The demand for cheap labour, sexual services and certain criminal activities are among the root causes of trafficking, while poverty, the absence of economic opportunities, and social attitudes and norms are other contributing factors (Source: UNODC, United States Department of Homeland Security).
Human trafficking affects the physical, psychological and emotional development of victims, hinders a nation’s development, undermines human resource development and promotes criminal conduct and corruption (Source: UNODC). Recognizing this, in 2001, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) put together an initial plan of action to tackle trafficking in persons, which outlines the most urgent actions to be taken by ECOWAS member states between 2002 – 2003, with a special focus on criminal justice responses. Similarly, in 2010, the United Nations (UN) launched its global plan of action to fight human trafficking, urging Governments worldwide to take coordinated and consistent measures to defeat the practice. Additionally, the UN’s 2016 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically target 8.7, called for nations to, “take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms.”
