THE world’s second largest intergovernmental organization, Interpol (the International Police) - an organization chartered by 188 nations to investigate organised crime, indicated that Guyana has not been designated as a country involved in trafficking in persons, neither is any Guyanese being sought for any offence related to trafficking in persons by Interpol. In a telephone interview with this newspaper, an information liaison with the body told the Chronicle that trafficking in persons is an international criminal activity vigorously pursued by Interpol. And the organization has no reason to believe nor do they possess any direct evidence of Guyana or Guyanese being involved in human trafficking.
Sources within the local legal fraternity had earlier told this newspaper that Interpol would have been better equipped and empowered to investigate and report on any incidence of international trafficking in persons. And as such, Interpol’s position should supersede any other report accusing any country of entertaining the committal of such offences.
Only Brazil and Colombia were classified by Interpol as countries involved in high levels of human trafficking in South America, while the Dominican Republic was the only country listed for the Caribbean.
Recently, much controversy has been centred on a U.S. State Department report, which arbitrarily placed Guyana at Tier 2 watchlist, a rating generally given by the United States for countries allegedly having high instances of trafficking in persons, out of a three tier system.
While the U.S report is not a U.N sanctioned or universally recognised document, its contents had angered the Guyana Government and the country’s private sector, since all were of the view that the report was arbitrarily compiled without any investigation, merit or supporting evidence.
The Guyana Government is contending that it is always committed to investigate and prosecute any person involved in any form of organised crime, and has called on the United States to provide the evidence of human trafficking.
Nonetheless, Government is intensifying its efforts to monitor and prosecute any person suspected of being involved in human trafficking in Guyana.
Sources within the local legal fraternity had earlier told this newspaper that Interpol would have been better equipped and empowered to investigate and report on any incidence of international trafficking in persons. And as such, Interpol’s position should supersede any other report accusing any country of entertaining the committal of such offences.
Only Brazil and Colombia were classified by Interpol as countries involved in high levels of human trafficking in South America, while the Dominican Republic was the only country listed for the Caribbean.
Recently, much controversy has been centred on a U.S. State Department report, which arbitrarily placed Guyana at Tier 2 watchlist, a rating generally given by the United States for countries allegedly having high instances of trafficking in persons, out of a three tier system.
While the U.S report is not a U.N sanctioned or universally recognised document, its contents had angered the Guyana Government and the country’s private sector, since all were of the view that the report was arbitrarily compiled without any investigation, merit or supporting evidence.
The Guyana Government is contending that it is always committed to investigate and prosecute any person involved in any form of organised crime, and has called on the United States to provide the evidence of human trafficking.
Nonetheless, Government is intensifying its efforts to monitor and prosecute any person suspected of being involved in human trafficking in Guyana.
Well its good that there is a another point of view that Guyana doesn't have trafficking in person and this Organization has made it clear that if there was they would have know.....so it all comes back where the Ambassador said that the report was done by some groups in guyana and we all know that it was the anti-government which try to show that Guyana is the worst place.....
ReplyDeleteAccording to the United Nations Office on Crime and Drugs, "Human trafficking is the acquisition of people by improper means such as force, fraud or deception, with the aim of exploiting them".
ReplyDeleteHowever, the US Department of State, which focuses on human trafficking, rates a country as Tier 1 if it is considered as being capable of fighting trafficking.The Tier 2 rating is given to a country that is committed to eradicate trafficking(while the Tier 2 Watch List is for countries with low commitment),and Tier 3 is for a country having a really poor commitment to handling trafficking.
The worst rankings have been given to Saudi Arabia, Iran, Laos, South Korea and Uzbekistan.
The root causes of human trafficking emanates from various aspects within a country or region. Some of which are: Abject poverty, especially among women,a lack of political, social and economical stability,a lack of reasonable and realistic prospects,situations of armed conflict and oppression,domestic violence and disintegration of the family structure,gender discrimination,lack of access to education and information and last but not least the HIV-AIDS reality.
According to the Minister of Labour and Social Security Priya Manikchand,she stated that in its 2009 report, the US State Department acknowledged that Guyana was making significant efforts to combat human trafficking.
She also said that there are ongoing public awareness programmes on human trafficking as well as training for officers to deal with the crime. The labour minister has denied that there is any evidence of a significant number of victims, adding that Guyana’s ranking is therefore unjustified.
Based on the latter information, I myself beg to differ from that which was reported on Guyana being at Tier 2 as it relates to Human Trafficking. More so, if such was the case many persons would have been aware just as it is about HIV and AIDS. Hence, it is totally invalid to come to such a conclusion without the necessary supporting evidence of such an epidemic in Guyana. I suggest they get it right like Dr. Berry.