By: Gifty Adunyah and Isaac Asare
30th of July every month is celebrated as World Human Trafficking Day to intensify awareness and campaign against human trafficking.
In Ghana, the commemoration of the day coincided with the launch of the National Plan of Action for the Elimination of Human Trafficking to reinforce government’s commitment towards the global call to ending human trafficking as captured in the SDGs.
The launch which to place in Accra, was spearheaded by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection.
It provoked the urgency for stakeholders to adopt to robust monitoring systems via the use of modern technology to foil the activities of trafficking offenders as the theme for this year’s celebration suggests, “Focusing on the Use and Abuse of Technology”.
Caretaker Minister for the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Cecilia Abena Dapaah said technology plays a key role in the fight against human trafficking whiles acknowledging Government’s effort so far.
She said “coordination over the years has significantly improved and response to human trafficking issues have been rapid”. Adding up she said ” the human trafficking secretariat with support from law enforcement officials rescued 831 victims last year alongside 32 cases which were prosecuted”.
However, for most key implementing partners, a well-coordinated National Action Plan backed with increased budgetary allocation are key to strengthening child protection and social welfare systems.
In a statement, Country Rep of UNICEF-Ghana, Ruby Annang said her outfit is committed to the clarion call and stressed on the need for more funding.
“There is the need to allocate more funds and resources in the fight against human trafficking”.
The event was attended by NGOs and civil society organizations, UNICEF, EU and Expertise France as some of its implementing partners.
