“Step up and take action on all fronts to end child trafficking,” is the call by Minister of State in the Ministry of National Security, the Hon. Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn.
The State Minister was speaking yesterday (July 30) at the Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Youth Panel Symposium held at the University of Technology Jamaica in observance of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons.
Minister Cuthbert-Flynn emphasised that, “We must prioritise child protection, bolster legislation, improve law enforcement, and allocate more resources to combat child trafficking”.
She stated that “prevention efforts should target root causes such as poverty and inequality to reduce children's vulnerability”.
Meanwhile, Minister Cuthbert-Flynn noted that the government is committed to end the scourge of human trafficking through its dedication to bold legislative policies.
“To date, we have opened ten child-friendly spaces across the island for interviewing and assisting child victims, we have three (3) operational twenty-four hour hotlines, established for the public to report incidences or cases of human trafficking, through the Child Protection and Family Service Agency, the Office of the Children’s Advocate and the Jamaica Constabulary Force,” she emphasised.
Minister Cuthbert-Flynn added: “We are actively implementing the National Referral Mechanism and guiding framework for interviewing child victims and witnesses, using a child-friendly, trauma-informed approach to avoid re-traumatizing child victims.”
The Ministry of National Security’s National Taskforce Against Trafficking in Persons continues to spread awareness about human trafficking. This year’s TIP Week is being observed from July 28 to August 3, under the theme: ‘Leave No Child Behind in the Fight Against Human Trafficking’.
Human Trafficking is defined as a form of modern day slavery which refers to the transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons by means of threat or use of force, other forms of coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, the abuse of power, or by exploitation of a position of vulnerability, by the giving or receiving of payments or benefits, to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation.
With an emphasis on child trafficking, the United Nations (UN) has reported that one in three victims of human trafficking worldwide is a child, with the majority being girls.
UN statistics have also indicated that children are twice as likely as adults to face exposure to violence during trafficking, an estimated 60 per cent of detected trafficking victims are children.
If you see something, say something. Call 311, 211, 119 or visit the nearest police station.
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