Tomorrow between the hours of 13:00 and 17:00 hours, the Ministry of Social Protection’s Countering Trafficking in Person Unit will introduce ‘June Blu Craze’ at the Stabroek Market Square. The ‘June Blu Craze’ will take the form of an educational booth to aid in the Ministry’s efforts to heighten awareness on human trafficking among Guyanese.
Persons who take time out to be a part of the event will even be eligible to win prizes, according to information out of the Social Protection Ministry.
This activity comes on the heels of reports that Guyana’s Trafficking in Person [TIP] status has improved. This means that Guyana is now classified as a Tier 1 country after being deemed a Tier 2 for many years. Countries that are placed on the Tier 1 Watch List of Trafficking in Persons are those in which their governments have fully met the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA)’s minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking.
Guyana’s improved ranking has been outlined in the United States State Department’s 2017 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report.
According to the US State Department Report, the Government of Guyana fully meets the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking thus the move to elevate it to the Tier 1 status. However, the report also noted that although the government meets the minimum standards, it did not increase protection and services for victims outside the capital or provided adequate protection and shelter for child and male victims. To further improve its ranking, the US State Department recommended that the country fund specialized service for victims, including those offered by Non Governmental Organizations for not only women but children and male victims.
It is believed that meaningful efforts to curb the TIP incidence here were facilitated through the collaborated efforts of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and several stakeholders. Over the last couple months, there have been several training sessions and educational activities to sensitize the public on TIP cases.
The Ministerial Task Force on TIP described the elevation as a reward for the tireless efforts of its members and other stakeholders who partnered to prevent persons from being trafficked and prosecute offenders.