State Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Leslie Campbell, says the Government is committed to ridding the country of the crime of human trafficking.
Campbell, who was addressing a virtual Jamaica Diaspora Round Table on Trafficking in Persons (TIP) recently, said that “considerable” gains have already been made in tackling the issue.
These include strengthening the legal framework to ensure that perpetrators of human trafficking are held accountable and survivors are compensated, protected and reintegrated safely into society.
“We have established a national referral mechanism. With the work of the National Taskforce Against Human Trafficking (NATFATIP), we are strengthening Jamaica’s legislative, institutional and operational capacity to combat TIP,”
Campbell said.
He noted that the National Trafficking in Persons Policy provides “a comprehensive framework within which the Government can conceptualise, implement, monitor and evaluate its actions to eradicate human trafficking in Jamaica”.
Mr. Campbell said, further, that the Government, through the NATFATIP and the Office of the National Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons (ONRTIP), is increasing public awareness about the crime and how persons can recognise a possible victim.
The State Minister said there is also a TIP manual for the Foreign Ministry’s staff and its high commissions, embassies and consulates general, and sensitisation sessions are held on an intermittent basis to enhance the knowledge and awareness of personnel about human trafficking.
Campbell also said that the Diaspora Round Table is an important part of the sensitisation process.
“We hope that it will lead to collaboration with the Government to assist our fellow citizens in overseas territories who may be unfortunate enough to get caught in the TIP trap,”
he added.
The session was moderated by Chair, Global People Workgroup and Global Jamaica Diaspora Council Northeast USA Representative, Dr Karren Dunkley and Chair, Prevention Committee of the NATFATIP, Audrey Budhi.
Participants included members of the NATFATIP, the Global Jamaica Diaspora Council and the Jamaican Diaspora community.
