PHOTO: Joseph Nyandibo, Director of Communications
By Emmanuel Mafelah, mafelahemmanuel29@gmail.com
GBARNGA, Liberia-The Labour Ministry continues to reassure its local and international partners of its commitment to robustly fight human trafficking in this West African country, amid concerns about Liberia’s showings on the international watch list.
Trafficking in persons is a form of slavery and a gross violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
In an interview with www.newspublictrut.com on Tuesday, the Labour Ministry’s Director of Communications, Joseph K. Nyandibo said Liberia will no longer be used as a transit point or corridor for the trafficking of persons to other parts of the world under the able leadership of Minister Charles H. Gibson.
On July 1, 2021, the United States Embassy in Monrovia released the 2021Trafficking in human persons report, which said: “The report determines that the Government of Liberia does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of human trafficking—the requirement for a country to be ranked as Tier 1—but it is making efforts to do so.” https://lr.usembassy.gov/statement-on-the-release-of-the-2021-trafficking-in-persons-report-for-liberia/
According to the Labour Ministry’s Communications Director, the National Anti-Human Trafficking of Liberia taskforce through the Ministry of Labor has the resources, strategy, partnership and determination to fight against human trafficking in the country.
He revealed that there is a team of lawyers currently hired by the taskforce, which he said is committed to the prosecution of all could be traffickers and trafficking cases.
Minister Gibson, who is head of the taskforce, is very passionate about the eradication of human trafficking in Liberia, the Labour Ministry’s spokesman said.
“The taskforce is doing all it can to ensure that all trafficking cases end at the first court of hearing as a means preventing traffickers from taking appeal. Our Minister has said this consistently that this crime must stop because it is against human right,” Mr. Nyandibo told this news outlet.
He said due to the seriousness of the Liberia government in the fight against human trafficking, the Labour Ministry through the taskforce has launched an awareness campaign in few of Liberia fifteen counties in order to adequately inform citizens on the danger or harm of the crime.
He also believes that human trafficking can be prevented, stopped, and eradicated through public awareness, outreach, education and advocacy campaigns, enforcement of the law on human trafficking and the prosecution of cases.
Mr. Nyandibo further noted that the work of the taskforce in these counties in the next few months will prove to the Liberian people and international partners that it is serious and that Liberia will no longer be used as a transit point for transporting people.
He maintained that human trafficking is not only done by foreigners, but there are some Liberians who are involved into the harmful acts.
With the consent of Minister Charles H. Gibson, he has recommitted government’s willingness to the fight against Human Trafficking in Liberia.
The Labour Ministry is calling on local and international partners to continue to provide more supports to the government of Liberia in the areas of training for LIS Officers, MOL Inspectors, LNP Officers, TIP case prosecutions, provide some logistics for borders patrols among others for the so purpose of getting the Taskforce to be more robust.
Liberian citizens across the country are also being urged to join the taskforce in the battle against human trafficking.