African ministers try to stem people trafficking

ABUJA – Ministers from 26 West and Central African countries launched a new attempt yesterday to revitalise the fight against people trafficking, which fuels child labour and sexual exploitation across the region.

A joint conference in the Nigerian capital Abuja of regional bodies ECOWAS and ECCAS aims to produce a multilateral agreement that would reinforce cooperation in areas like the repatriation of victims and the extradition of traffickers. The meeting also aims to encourage countries to strengthen their legislation against people trafficking and their national response to the problem, which is fuelled by poverty, poor policing and, in some cases, cultural practices.The 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), based in Abuja, said the conference was necessary because a string of earlier action plans had not been fully implemented.ECOWAS said only a few countries had ratified the 2000 UN Palermo Protocol, which defines and bans people trafficking, or signed international agreements to curb the problem.- Nampa-ReutersThe meeting also aims to encourage countries to strengthen their legislation against people trafficking and their national response to the problem, which is fuelled by poverty, poor policing and, in some cases, cultural practices.The 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), based in Abuja, said the conference was necessary because a string of earlier action plans had not been fully implemented.ECOWAS said only a few countries had ratified the 2000 UN Palermo Protocol, which defines and bans people trafficking, or signed international agreements to curb the problem.- Nampa-Reuters