(MONROVIA, LIBERIA – Tuesday, March 25, 2014) President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has alerted the world and would be perpetrators that the Government of Liberia is ready for the fight against trafficking in persons, especially women and children.
She stressed that trafficking in persons is one of the biggest illegal activities against the violation of human rights in the world and Liberia must join other countries in strong action to combat this crime.
According to an Executive Mansion release, President Sirleaf made the Statement when she officially launched Government’s Five-Year National Action Plan on the Fight Against Trafficking in Persons at the Monrovia City Hall on Tuesday, March 25.
To further demonstrate Government’s seriousness about fighting this crime, the Liberian President announced that three expatriates have been indicted and are in prison awaiting trial; while other perpetrators are being prosecuted.
President Sirleaf highlighted a case where two individuals were unanimously found guilty for illicit trafficking of some Moroccan and Tunisian nationals on December 31, 2013; but to her surprise and disappointment, a motion for retrial was granted by the Judge. “The Government is still pursuing this matter to its logical conclusion to ensure that the victims get the justice they deserve,” the Liberian leader promised.
President Sirleaf stressed that launch of the Five-Year National Action Plan is to make good the Government’s commitment to the fight against trafficking in persons. “This menace has plagued our society for a long time and we have declared our collective actions against it since the endorsement of the National Action Plan (NAP) by the cabinet on October 30, 2013,” she said, adding, that the launch further makes Liberia a better place where the rights of defenseless people are always guaranteed and protected.
Providing an overview of the Five-Year National Action Plan earlier, Minister of Labor, also Chair of the Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force, Cllr. Juah Lawson, said the Plan is a part of a series of inter-related prior and on-going actions by Government in response to the threats and challenges engendered by this serious transnational crime which uses Liberia as both a transit and destination point.
She disclosed that in 2005, the Transitional Legislative Assembly of the National Transitional Government passed an Act that banned and criminalized all forms of human trafficking in Liberia. This was followed by the establishment of a National Task Force along with a Secretariat, as well as Standard Operating Procedures.
This was further enhanced in April 2013 when the Government amended the Penal Law regarding extortion, environmental crimes, trafficking in human beings and illicit migrant smuggling, thereby reinforcing the legal framework responsible for dealing with these interrelated international crimes.
Prior to putting in place the legal framework and relevant structures to face the menace of trafficking in persons in the country, the Government of Liberia had earlier acceded to the United Nations (UN) Convention against transnational organized crime and its protocol to prevent, suppress and punish perpetrators of trafficking in persons; especially women and children.
Earlier, in Special Remarks, the Acting Minister of Justice, Cllr. Wheatonia Dixon-Barnes expressed the Force’s firm commitment to pursue the fight against human trafficking in Liberia. She said though the fight is very challenging, the Ministry of Justice is making progress in the fight.
Cllr. Dixon-Barnes, also Co-Chair of the Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force, recalled that since 2009, the Government has taken corrective measures aimed at addressing some of the structural lapses within state bureaucracy that allowed for manipulation by potential traffickers in the country. “With the formal launch of the National Action Plan, the Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force is ready for the fight,” she said.
United States Ambassador Deborah Malac congratulated Liberia for the successful launch and said Liberia has prioritized its efforts to combat and eliminate human trafficking in the country. She said even with limited resources, the Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force continues to take concrete actions to accomplish these goals. “I commend of all you for your efforts and your success today,” she said.
Ambassador Malac said the launch demonstrated the Liberian Government’s commitment to address this issue and outline how it will combat trafficking drawn on four Ps – prevention, protection, prosecution and partnership.
She did admit that human trafficking is not a problem that affects only Liberia, but countries all over the world including the United States. In Liberia, she said, trafficking is often confused with smuggling and kidnapping.
“When a little girl is sold by her impoverished family and is lured by false promises of a better life, but its then imprisoned in a brothel, that’s human trafficking,” she said, adding, “It is heartless, evil and has no place in a civilized world.” She stressed that this is why the United States is partnering with Liberia to help fight this scourge. Ambassador Malac said there is a need to put perpetrators behind bars, to help victims receive the care that they need, and to stop the situation before it begins.
The United Nations Police Commissioner, Greg Hinds, making remarks on behalf of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, commended Liberia for taking strides in the fight against trafficking in persons. He said the Action Plan will certainly cement the actions, processes and procedures that will be undertaken by the Liberian Government and its partners in relation to combating this crime.
Speaking on behalf of Civil Society Organizations, the head of the Community Watch Forum of Liberia, Emmanuel Kollimealyne reiterated that Government’s actions should match the pronouncements that there will be zero tolerance towards perpetrators.
The Plan, renewable every five years, provides for its incorporation into Government’s five year national development program (Agenda for Transformation), to ensure recurrent budgetary and sustainable support. In terms of its vision, the Plan outlines four program areas of focus: Prevention, Protection, Prosecution, and Partnership.