The United States Government is funding the
establishment of task forces against human trafficking in Nigeria.
The task forces are being established by the
National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) with
support from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in
partnership with state and non-state actors.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday by the
Communications Officer of UNODC Nigeria, Mr. Sylvester Atere, ahead of today’s
commemoration of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, the establishment of
state task forces was an essential component of UNODC project titled: ‘Strengthen
the capacities of state and non-state institutions to assist, support and
protect Victims of Trafficking (VoT) in Nigeria’, implemented in partnership
with NAPTIP and funded by the US Government.
“A major output of the project is to support improved
partnership coordination in the referral process for the support and protection
of trafficked victims,” UNODC said, adding that the first state task force was
established by the Edo State Government followed by Ondo, Delta and Ekiti States.
Other states are expected to follow soon.
The establishment of these bodies, the UN agency
said, reflected a multi-sectoral response to raise awareness, protect victims
of trafficking, increase their access to justice as well as rehabilitate and
provide support to prosecution of traffickers.
The statement said a report released by the UNODC
in 2018 shows that while the identification of victims of human trafficking and
conviction of traffickers were on the rise globally, probably due to increased
state capacities in the related areas, it was unfortunate that Nigeria still has
a low conviction rate of human traffickers.
“It is therefore imperative that the Nigeria Government
demonstrate a strong commitment in its response at all levels to counter human
trafficking,” adding that “the establishment of task forces with the participation
of key stakeholders–donors, development partners, law enforcement agencies, MDAs,
NGOs, traditional rulers, faith-based organisations-is a timely move and is
also in line with the theme for this year’s World Day Against Trafficking in
Persons marked annually on July 31, which is ‘Human Trafficking: Call your
Government to Action’.
The UNODC said the intervention was also in line
with all government levels, multi-sectoral cooperation approach promoted under
the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime (UNTOC) and
its protocols to prevent, suppress and punish trafficking in persons,
especially of women and children.
Also called Palermo Protocols, it was adopted by
the UN General Assembly in Resolution 55/255 on May 31, 2001. The treaty
entered into force on July 3, 2005, and ratified by Nigeria on June 28, 2001.
As of May 2019, 117 parties, including 116 states and the European Union, have
signed the protocols.
In his statement to commemorate the World Day against
Trafficking in Persons, UNODC Executive Director, Yury Fedotov, said: “Tackling
human trafficking brings us closer to achieving the Sustainable Development
Goals, which call for eliminating all forms of violence against women and
girls; combatting organised crime and eradicating forced labour, abuse,
exploitation and violence against children. Fighting this global scourge means
building a society that leaves no-one behind.”
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